CRoFT TCORS: WNY Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco Products (CRoFT)
Principal Investigator(s): Richard J. O'Connor and Maciej Goniewicz
Funding Mechanism: National Institutes of Health – TCORS Grant
ID number: 1 U54 CA228110-01
Award Date: 9/14/18
Institution: Roswell Park Cancer Institute and University of Rochester
Many tobacco flavoring ingredients are labeled Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) as they are intended for ingestion; however, they have not been evaluated for inhalation toxicity. More data can provide understanding regarding how consumers perceive and use flavored tobacco products and whether these have implications for health. The goal of the Western New York (WNY) Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco Products (CRoFT) is to develop a novel framework and approaches for assessing the impact of tobacco product flavors and flavorings on consumer behavior, exposures, and health. Four projects will provide useful information about the toxicological, health, and behavioral implications of flavors and flavoring chemicals. Project 1 will apply state-of-the art methods to assess the chronic toxicity of specific flavorings used in tobacco products using chemical reactivity, in vitro models, and in vivo research studies. Project 2 will apply consumer sensory and behavioral laboratory approaches to examine the behavioral impacts of flavors, including sensory thresholds for single and combined flavorings, and the impact of flavoring concentration on use patterns (puffing topography, inhalation). Project 3 will apply longitudinal cohort and product-switching designs to examine the chronic respiratory health effects of flavorings in tobacco products among current users. Project 4 will apply qualitative, quantitative, and experimental approaches to examine the effects of information on flavor choice and flavored product use.
CRoFT TCORS: WNY Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco Products (CRoFT) Related Resources
- CRoFT TCORS Project 1: In Vitro and In Vivo Assessment of Flavorant Toxicity
- CRoFT TCORS Project 2: Human Thresholds for Characterizing Flavors and Impact on Behavior
- CRoFT TCORS Project 3: Respiratory Health Effects of Flavors
- CRoFT TCORS Project 4: Evaluating Effects of Packaging and Market Availability of Flavored Tobacco Products on Consumer Perception and Behavior
- The original scientific abstract and other project information can be found on the NIH website.