Day 010 - 11 Jul 94 - Page 72


     
     1   Q.   I am afraid to say that I cannot tell which page it is.
 
     2   MR. MORRIS:  It is 7, 8 and 10.  It may be worth putting 10
              before 7 and then we will have them in order.
     3
         MR. RAMPTON:  I want the one which is seventh.  The heading is
     4        "Polystyrene a Safe Food Packaging"?
              A.  Yes.
     5
         Q.   This is I would guess, but you will tell me, Mr. Lipsett,
     6        quite an old document?
              A.  My knowledge of this document, the acquisition of this
     7        document occurred somewhat late in the McToxics campaign,
              somewhere in the period of about 1989 or 1990.
     8
         Q.   Let us not bother about the date.  Let us have a quick
     9        look at the second column on that seventh page?
              A.  OK.
    10
         Q.   The second paragraph says this: "A recent university that
    11        commissioned a study on polystyrene foam food service
              items noted that are more hygienic and have a
    12        significantly lower amount of bacteria than reusable
              items." I have asked you about that already.  Then under:
    13        "Residual styrene" is Polystyrene: "The US Food and drug
              Administration", that is what we call the FDA, is that
    14        right?
              A.  Yes.
    15
         Q.   "Closely regulates the level of the trace amounts of
    16        styrene residue in polystyrene food packaging materials".
              Is it the business of the FDA to look out, in some senses
    17        at least, for the health of the public, watch after it?
              A.  That would be correct.
    18
         Q.   They are supposed at least to be independent of industry?
    19        A.  That would be a correct presumption.
 
    20   Q.   They are what in this country we call a government
              watchdog.  Is that right?
    21        A.  No, I would not call them a government watchdog.
 
    22   Q.   They regulate the level of, for example, additives in
              food, do they not, the levels?
    23        A.  Yes.  They regulate a wide variety of things including
              drugs.
    24
         Q.   Do the individual states also have equivalent bodies?
    25        A.  I cannot speak to that.  I am not aware of any.
  
    26   Q.   It goes on: "The FDA allows 10,000 parts per million of 
              styrene in polystyrene packaging for aqueous, water 
    27        containing foods, and up to 5,000 parts per million for
              packaging of fatty foods.  Scientific literature reports a
    28        range of residual styrene levels from", can you help with
              this?
    29        A.  It says 60 to 4,000 parts per million.
 
    30   Q.   "60 to 4,000 parts per million, although today most levels
              of polystyrene food packaging vary from 100 to 900 parts

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