Document 5b5wXp9Zn37GKJyoe4DZmLzBR

MANUFACTURING CHEMISTS ASSOCIATION,W. A. APR 1 71974 1B25 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W. WASHINGTON, D. C. 20009 (202) 483-6126 April 12, 1974 TO: FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC CHEMICALS COMMITTEE SUBJECT: Mr. Ingle's Report to MCA Board Gentlemen: Attached is a copy of your chairman's report for the April 8 meeting of the MCA Board of Directors. Sincerely yours. MMH:gm Attachment Distribution "B" M. Hoover, Secretary *ood. Drug, and Cosmetic Chemicals Committee ASI 00003579 I EXHIBIT F REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MANUFACTURING CHEMISTS ASSOCIATION GEORGE W. INGLE, CHAIRMAN FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC CHEMICALS COMMITTEE April 8, 1974 When I reported to you a year ago, I recited some of our Committee's achievements, but also stressed our intention to do better in identifying and representing the Association's interests in foods, drugs and cosmetics, we think we've done well in keeping our membership properly informed of the range of subjects in this area, but more is needed, in developing and presenting MCA views on the critical questions. To this end, our committee established four small sub committees--Steering, Legislative and Regulatory, Scientific, and Consumer information (not to be confused with, but closely coordinated with, the consumer Information Subcommittee of MCA's Public Relations Committee). These smaller centers of interest and response have already started to operate on a relatively continuous basis in their respective areas. For example, the Scientific Subcommittee is contributing to the preparation and review of monographs defining the safety of individual "GRAS" substances, in addition, through our Committee Secretary's participation in the Ninth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives last December in the Nether lands, we are actively concerned with international standards for food additives. The Legislative and Regulatory Subcom mittee is monitoring S.2373 (on inspection of food plants), to which GMA has made major contributions. The perennial Nelson bills, now S.2845, are inactive? his proposal, in effect, to extend the Delaney clause to include teratogenicity and mutagenicity has been largely obsoleted by FDA's routine adop tion of tests for the former. Tests for mutagenicity are still too unreliable for routine use. This plan for action has raised another question--how much activity is considered appropriate to member company interests in drugs and cosmetics? To put this in better per spective, a little historical review is in order. During the fifties, the name of this Committee reflected its primary in terest in food additives. Indeed, through this Committee, and its then chairman, Hercules' John Kuniholm, MCA made its views known, at Congressional Hearings, on what became, in 1958, the Food Additives Amendment to the 1938 Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. ASI 00003580 2- - In 1962 the minutes show that there was agreement that this Committee should change its name to encompass interests in the drug and cosmetic sectors. This much was done, but until last year, there was no real inquiry as to what more should be done to identify and satisfy member companies' interests in these two fields. While we have been preparing to be more active in food additives. Congressional activities in drugs and cosmetics have clearly increased in tempo. The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Proprietary Association, and the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrances Association have provided leadership. Is this enough for MCA members? Will liaison with these groups suffice for MCA member companies? If not, what more is needed? Should we extend our food additive subcommittee structure to drugs and cosmetics? If so, how many more company representatives will be needed? To best answer these questions, we will review this matter with our membership at next month's meeting, with emphasis on how to best obtain answers to these very questions from MCA member companies. Their answers will have a major effect on our future activity. In the food additives sector alone, opportunities to tell "the chemical story" to an ever-widening audience have multiplied. Our consumer information Subcommittee has been working closely with your Public Relations Committee's information pro gram and has assisted in thoroughly revising "Everyday Facts on Food Additives," (now known as "Food Additives--Who Needs Them?" and up-dating the more detailed "Food Additives--What They Are/How They are Used." The dollars the Public Relations committee has requested for printing and distributing these up-dated versions will be, in my opinion, your most effective PR investment. For over ten years your Consumer Information program has been telling industry's side of the food additive story by working closely with a variety of programs, through personal contact, news releases, meetings, exhibits, and by creating platforms for industry speakers, in my role as chairman of MCA's FDC Chemicals Committee, I have been called on to participate in many of these activities. These have included taped interviews with broad casters across the country at MCA's suite at the convention of American Women in Radio and TV, and prepared talks at the univer sities of Iowa, and of Maine, at the Capitol Press Womens Club here in Washington, and most recently at the Los Angeles Nut rition Expo. MCA's materials have been called to the attention ASI 00003581 -3- of these many professionals who are really interested in the facts about the chemistry of food additives. Most of these people are women--home economists and nutritionists--federal, state and university employees--all of whom have been dedicated to assess ing and transferring their technology long before the House Committee on Science and Technology invented these terms. If the chemical industry really suffers a credibility gap, it would probably be worse if we had not been continuously providing current and sound information convincingly presented to serious audiences such as these. These presentations have beneficial "multiplier" effects as these listeners, in turn, talk to their audiences through state meetings, news columns and their own radio and TV shows, in this way, MCA information can effectively counter the excessive "anti-chemical" foodfaddist propaganda emitted by the media, and, incidentally, decried at last month's AAAS meeting in San Francisco. It remains to be seen how much of this type of activity will be appropriate to our interests in drugs and cosmetics, assuming it is decided to expand our program in these product areas. Regardless, in the food additive area alone, there's a major and largely untapped opportunity for responsible spokesmanship. Finally, a small but potentially very important point. Last year our Committee stretched itself--too far in the view of most members--to provide a temporary "home" for a Toxic Substances Group. This is sin elite group of member company representatives--primarily toxicologists--to begin early assis tance to EPA in preparing for its administration of the anti cipated Toxic Substances Control Act. While most of the dis ciplines, and some of the personnel, are common in that group and in our Committee, there is real concern that "Toxic Sub stances" are not the best bedfellows for "Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics." Certainly this organization is not publicized, but we do look forward to a more permanent, and more comfortable Committee home for the Toxic Substances Control Group. I'm pleased to tell you about the FDC Chemicals Committee, I'll try to answer your questions. ASI 00003582 !