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

Prev Next Index