Day 014 - 20 Jul 94 - Page 35


     
     1   Q.   But I mean they would not hesitate to differ from what
              earlier had been decided if evidence had shown -----
     2        A.  I see what you are getting at.  Had there been a
              change in evidence and/or perceptions of the relationship
     3        between sugar and health, they would not have hesitated to
              change that.  Basically, I think what would have happened
     4        here is that because the COMA report on sugar came out, I
              think about a year earlier ---- Nothing much has happened
     5        in the meantime,and so we will take that on board.
 
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   I notice that the bibliography, of which
              the 92 references we looked at earlier, the last of those
     7        was 1989 which is the same date as this report, there has
              to be a time lapse to digest what has been published
     8        before you come to your conclusions?
              A.  Yes.  I mean, producing this book has involved a
     9        massive amount of work and I am not quite sure how long,
              but it would have been several years involving the people
    10        listed earlier on and that would include members of
              Secretariat in the Department of Health who would be
    11        spending a considerable portion of their time on this
              particular work.
    12
         MR. RAMPTON:  5.5  "Conclusions. The Panel agreed with the
    13        following conclusions of the COMA panel on Dietary Sugars.
 
    14         "1.  There is no evidence that sugars naturally
              incorporated in the cellular structure of foods (intrinsic
    15        sugars) ----" Does that include the sort of sugars we find
              in fruit?
    16        A.  Yes.
 
    17   Q.   Or honey, or is that extract of sugar?
              A.  I think it would probably classified as an intrinsic
    18        sugar.
 
    19   Q.  " --- or lactose in milk or milk products (milk sugars)
              have adverse effects on health."  For the ignoramuses
    20        amongst us, Professor Wheelock, does milk contain a
              quantity of sugar?
    21        A.  Yes, it is lactose and milk will normally have about
              4.5 per cent; in other words 4.5 grammes in a hundred
    22        grammes.
 
    23   Q.   4.5 per cent by weight?
              A.  By weight, yes.
    24
         Q.   "Conclusion ii.  Apart from lactose in milk and milk
    25        products, extrinsic sugars in the UK, (principally
              sucrose), contribute to the development of dental caries. 
    26        In societies where average total sugar supplies are less 
              than 20kg/person/year (approximately 60 g./person/d or 10 
    27        per cent of dietary energy) dental caries is rare.  Those
              particularly at risk of dental caries are children,
    28        adolescents and the elderly.  There is evidence from
              laboratory studies for the potential carcinogenicity (sic)
    29        of fermentable carbohydrates."
 
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Cariogenicity?
 

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