Consumer Issues

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CONSUMER ISSUES
Food safety legislation was originally passed in 1906 because some food packers were putting foreign substances into food to make it last longer or to increase its bulk and weight. In 1938, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibited the sale of adulterated and mislabeled food, drugs, and cosmetics in interstate commerce. In 1958, the act was again amended to address food additives, making them unlawful unless adequately shown through scientific procedures to be safe under the condition of their intended use. The toxicology testing requirements of food additives has evolved with knowledge, including testing on animals and human experience. The Delaney Clause involving test dosages of additives that may cause cancer is always interpreted to mean "zero tolerance." It offers no discretion on the part of the FDA to examine risks versus benefits.
Amendments to the Delaney Clause that introduce "significant risk" into the decision making process, such as the Hatch-Wampler Bill, have been proposed. This would allow a team of scientist to evaluate the potential toxic risk of additives under normal circumstances.
What standards of safety should apply and what risk levels should be accepted? Use of Alar in pesticides may cause one case of cancer for every 4,200 preschoolers, 240 times the acceptable standard. 60 Minutes and Meryl Streep resulted in apples being removed from school cafeterias in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, with other cities following suit. Alar-free apples were advertised, but the state of Washington where 50 percent of the nation's apples are grown loss $100 million in revenues.
In the early 1990s bioengineered foods began to appear on the market. Sweeter tomatoes, longer-lasting peppers, leaner pork, and healthier cooking oils were the result of biotech industry. In general, the FDA must approve all plant generated products, but not biotech foods involving meats, poultry, fish, or dair...