A decision tree approach to the regulation of food chemicals associated with irreversible toxicities

A decision tree approach to the regulation of foodborne carcinogen-associated chemicals is presented. In the first stage, this approach places emphasis on the question of whether a chemical is capable of generating chemically reactive metabolitesin vivo. Such metabolites are considered to havepotential to initiate not only carcinogenesis but also other serious irreversible toxicities. In the second stage, the scheme suggests that the ability of a compound to enhance the development of the carcinogenic process (positive modifiers) should be evaluated. Those compounds which enhance that process should then be evaluated for efficacy. And finally it is argued that the various decision options should depend both on the degree of risk aversion desired by the consumer and the feasibility of marketplace control.