Calcium chloride tested on zebrafish embryos for food safety
What it found
In zebrafish embryos and larvae, calcium chloride above 0.4% harmed development and the heart and nerve systems, and all embryos exposed to 0.8% and 1.6% died within 24 hours after fertilisation.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Development effects
Doses of calcium chloride above 0.4% had toxic effects on the development of zebrafish embryos and larvae.
Heart and nerves
Above 0.4%, calcium chloride also affected the activity of the cardiac and neuronal systems in the zebrafish.
Death at high doses
All embryos exposed to 0.8% and 1.6% calcium chloride died after 24 hours post fertilisation.
Other findings
Comparison with food limits
The findings matched the calcium chloride concentration limits set by Codex Alimentarius for food additives.
Zebrafish as a screen
The authors say zebrafish embryos could be suitable for screening food additives.
What the authors conclude
“Therefore, zebrafish embryos could be suitable for screening food additives.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say these findings are consistent with the limits of CaCl₂ concentrations approved by Codex Alimentarius.
- They conclude that zebrafish embryos could be suitable for screening food additives.
How it was done
The food industry usually relies on toxicity studies in mammals such as mice, rats and rabbits to judge food safety, but those tests are slow and costly. Zebrafish are quicker, cheaper and sensitive, but it was not known whether their response to calcium chloride matches the levels used in food.
They ran acute toxicity, embryotoxicity, cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity tests on zebrafish embryos and larvae. They compared the calcium chloride tolerance of these embryos and larvae with the concentrations used as food additives.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a test in zebrafish embryos and larvae, so it cannot show what happens in people.
- It cannot show whether eating calcium chloride at food additive levels affects human health.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil; Ministry of Agriculture, Brazil; Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos Brazil
The paper
- Title
- Calcium Chloride Toxicology for Food Safety Assessment Using Zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) Embryos
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Bailone RL, Fukushima HCS, de Aguiar LK, Borra RC (2022). Calcium Chloride Toxicology for Food Safety Assessment Using Zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) Embryos. Comparative medicine. doi:10.30802/AALAS-CM-22-000009Free full textPubMed 36123048DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error