Day 010 - 11 Jul 94 - Page 35


     
     1        the Polystyrene Packaging Council is?
              A.  The Polystyrene Packaging Council is a trade
     2        organisation composed of manufacturers of plastic foam
              food packaging.
     3
         Q.   Presumably it would not be in their interests to identify
     4        problems with packaging unless it was a well known
              established scientific fact?
     5        A.  Well-----
 
     6   Q.   They do not normally campaign telling people what the
              problems are with polystyrene packaging, is that correct?
     7        A.  Well, in general a trade organisation seeks to promote
              the interests of its members, in this case foam food
     8        packagers; the issue that has been raised in earlier
              testimony and also within the campaign that we were
     9        engaged in was that foam food packaging is better than
              alternatives because foam food packaging does not contain
    10        large quantities of various disease factors as compared to
              reusable food vessels that are washed in a dishwasher.
    11
              The issue that is raised here or addressed here is whether
    12        or not there is an additional possibility -- that is the
              food packaging trade group is acknowledging the
    13        possibility that these components migrate into or can
              migrate into the food products that are contained within
    14        the polystyrene food package.
 
    15   Q.   Which part of that -- the pamphlet is headed Polystyrene
              Food Service Packaging:  A Health Profile.
    16        A.  I would refer you to the page that begins with "60 to
              4,000 P P M".
    17
         Q.   This is page 8 in our bundle, I believe.
    18        A.  Yes.  Then the second paragraph -- the first complete
              paragraph.
    19
         Q.   Can you read it out then?
    20        A. "The more important question is how much styrene
              actually migrates into food.  Polystyrene packaging is
    21        designed to minimise the migration of styrene into food,
              which can impart an off taste at very low concentrations.
    22        Independent studies have shown that residual styrene
              concentrations in polystyrene of 500 parts P P M (parts
    23        per million) produce migration levels of styrene into food
              in the five to 50 parts per billion range."
    24
              Next paragraph:  "The issue is addressed as to whether or
    25        not there are any adverse health effects", and here the
              representatives or the material distributed by the 
    26        polystyrene packaging council makes statements claiming 
              that "scientific research does not support the notion that 
    27        styrene migration into food products is of any concern".
 
    28   Q.   Right.
 
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I have not found that.
 
    30   MR. MORRIS:  Sorry, page 8.
 

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