Day 010 - 11 Jul 94 - Page 73
1 per million, less than 10 per cent of he amount allowed by
freight Federal regulations"?
2 A. Yes.
3 Q. Assume those figure to be accurate, unless the FDA is not
doing its job, this styrene migration, at any rate at
4 those levels, is not constituting any kind of a danger to
anybody at all, is it?
5 A. Sorry, can you restate that question?
6 Q. You told us that the FDA has the business of looking
after, in some respects at least, health of the nation,
7 preventing the nation from being poisoned by toxic
substances in food?
8 A. That is not what I said.
9 Q. What?
A. That is not what I said.
10
Q. Let me ask it then. What is the purpose of the limits
11 laid down by FDA regulations?
A. The purpose of the limits of FDA regulation regarding
12 this matter is to limit in some sense the contaminant of
styrene in the food package, on the presumption it is a
13 good idea to limit that material, that contaminant.
14 Q. I do not know how it works in America but I dare say it is
much the same as it is here. If there were sound,
15 reliable scientific evidence that styrene in small amounts
was highly toxic, the FDA would never allow its use, would
16 they?
A. Actually, that would be I think an incorrect
17 assumption.
18 Q. Why do you think that is?
A. For example, we could talk about the cigarette; we
19 could talk about a number of different substances that
were allowed in food and were allowed for a considerable
20 time after there was scientific evidence, that those
materials constituted hazards. We could talk about
21 dieethylstilbesterol; the FDA allowed the use of
dieethylstilbesterol in United States when in fact in
22 other areas ----
23 Q. I am, sorry I did not catch that?
A. Dieethylstilbesterol which is a chemical used, a drug
24 used for children, I mean mothers during labour. At the
time that this was allowed the FDA, well, I should say
25 there was scientific information available in Europe as to
the effects of this chemical on the offspring. So my
26 point very simply is that I do not agree with the question
that FDA is effective at protecting the public from these
27 problems. It only reacts after issues are raised and are
generally raised as environmental concerns or as concerns
28 from other sources, victims of poisoning from
dieethylstilbesterol, for example. It is also called DES.
29
Q. Let me ask you another question. Are you aware, even at
30 this present day, July 1994, of any convincing or credible
scientific evidence that styrene in small amounts
