Day 038 - 19 Oct 94 - Page 55


     
     1        the frequency of those in the population would be?
     2        A.  There is not a single figure that I could confidently
     3        ascribe either to each of these compounds one by one or to
     4        them collectively.  It is very, very rare, in my
     5        experience, ever to come across an individual who is
     6        allergic to one of these additives, particularly one
     7        colouring, and not to any of the others.
     8
     9        Therefore, what we have are clusters of individuals who
    10        respond adversely to clusters of compounds.  I have yet to
    11        find what I would take to be an adequate study which gives
    12        reliable evidence of the incidence of this intolerance.
    13        So, all I have been able to do in respect of tolerant
    14        reactions to these compounds is to provide documentary
    15        evidence indicating that such reactions do occur.  But what
    16        I do not have (and cannot provide) is documentary evidence
    17        providing reliable and precise estimates of the frequency
    18        at which those reactions occur.
    19
    20   MR. MORRIS:  As an expert in this field, what is your best
    21        estimate for allergic reactions in the population?
    22        Professor Walker said it was something in the region of 1
    23        in a 1,000 or under?
    24        A.  For the reasons I gave earlier on in my evidence
    25        concerning the manner in which those estimates, that 1 in a
    26        1,000 or fewer, were generated.  I consider those estimates
    27        unreliable and, moreover, systematically to underestimate
    28        the scale of the problem.
    29
    30   Q.   What figure would you give?
    31        A.  As I have suggested for the population as a whole, that
    32        is children and adults, I doubt that the incidence is lower
    33        than 1 per cent and is probably not higher than 5 per cent
    34        but in intolerance, and particularly hyperactivity, is more
    35        common amongst children than adults, in my experience, and
    36        the incidence amongst children conceivably might be as high
    37        as 10 per cent or that order of magnitude.
    38
    39        But that is simply an informed guess based upon 20 years of
    40        scrutinizing the data and being in contact with such
    41        individuals, and not supported by particular studies which
    42        I deem to be reliable.
    43
    44   Q.   So your best figure would be between 1 and 5 per cent for
    45        all the intolerances?
    46        A.  For all the additives in all the population.
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is not just restricted to the additives
    49        listed here; that is all additives in food?
    50        A.  That is correct, though it is unlikely -- it is very 
    51        rare, in my experience, for people to be intolerant to some 
    52        colours but not either Amaranth or Sunset Yellow. 
    53
    54   Q.   I would suggest to you, if I may, that you kick off with
    55        Sunset Yellow and follow the routine which you mentioned
    56        when I first got back and see whether that helps or not.
    57        Although I stopped you putting the abstract to
    58        Dr. Millstone, it seems to me there is actually no harm in
    59        having it in front of him in the witness box if he wants.
    60        Is there any objection to that, Mr. Rampton?

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