Day 039 - 20 Oct 94 - Page 26


     
     1   Q.   You have seen some of that documentation?
     2        A.  I have seen some of them, but I have never seen those
     3        reports written up and published in the peer reviewed
     4        scientific literature.
     5
     6   Q.   But you have seen those reports.  Did those reports mention
     7        Sodium Nitrite and Potassium Nitrate?
     8        A.  Yes, they do.
     9
    10   Q.   Was that regarding hyperactivity specifically or was that
    11        also other intolerance symptoms?
    12        A.  Well, the Hyperactive Children Support Group has enough
    13        difficulty coping merely with people, with all the people
    14        who report hyperactivity to them.  If people report other
    15        symptoms but not hyperactivity, the Hyperactive Children
    16        Support Group invite them to go elsewhere.  But it is very
    17        rare for people to report hyperactivity without also
    18        reporting some other collateral symptoms, such as skin
    19        rashes or headaches.
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I understand your point about the quality of
    22        some of the anecdotal evidence when it is an additive which
    23        does not appear in food naturally at all.  But how do they
    24        isolate added nitrites in these anecdotal cases?  How do
    25        they know, as it were, or think they know that it is not
    26        something which is naturally there?
    27        A.  Yes.  I do not think it is easy for them to be precise
    28        in this context.  I think often people will exclude from
    29        the diet of their children products which have quite a few
    30        additives in and will typically then list all of those
    31        additives in the products when the products seem to trigger
    32        the effect and ascribe the effect to whatever is in the
    33        product.
    34
    35        The same goes, say, for water where people have claimed and
    36        reported quite a few cases that filtering the water
    37        improves the behaviour and health of their children.
    38        Typically, one would expect that the filters would remove a
    39        range of compounds and not just one compound.  I think you
    40        are right to observe ----.
    41
    42   Q.   It is much more difficult, is it not, to carry out your own
    43        check?
    44        A.  For something like nitrate.
    45
    46   Q.   When the target substance is something which appears widely
    47        and naturally in every day food?
    48        A.  That is, indeed, of course, correct.
    49
    50   MR. MORRIS:  The Hyperactive Children Support Group recommend 
    51        the avoidance of Sodium Nitrite; is that correct? 
    52        A.  To the best of my knowledge, yes, it is. 
    53
    54   Q.   But they do not do that for Potassium Nitrate?
    55        A.  I was not aware of that.  I would be very surprised if
    56        that was the case.  I do not have their documents on me.
    57        I cannot instantly recall what is and is not on their
    58        list.  I would be very surprised if they did not put
    59        nitrate next to nitrite.  If it turns out they have not
    60        included it, I will draw that to their attention.

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