Document D74N7oppjKG5GqLZBGv77YqB

FILE NAME Talc TALC DATE 1973 July 28 DOC TALC076 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Press Release - FDA Ban on Asbestos in Food and Drugs Urged ' a Nua ose suet se ae FORD ---- 1525 18th STREET N.W. WASHINGTON D.C. 20006/202 000-10 PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Thursday July 28 1973 For Further Information Contact Albert Fritsch 332-6000 Center for Science in the Public Interest Scott H. Lang Environmental Fund 833-1484 Defense FDA BAN ON ASBESTOS IN DRINKS AND DRUGS URGED Two public interest groups today gave the Food and Drug Administration FDA 30 days to act to ban the use of asbestos filters filters in food and drug processing and to establish a zero tolerance for asbestos impurities in talc used as a food addi- tive The Center for Science in the Public Interest CSPI and the Environmental Defense Fund EDF declared that that that that the the the intentional addition of causing asbestos particles constitutes an imminent and wholly unnecessary hazard to public public public public public health Asbestos is a proven cause of lung and stomach cancer among those who work with it and even among neighbors of asbestos asbestos plants and families of asbestos workers Little is known about the effects of prolonged level exposure to asbestos in foods and drugs But the long latency period between onset of exposure and the development of cancer 30 years or more could allow these dangers to go unnoticed for decades before a public health crisis becomes evident The petition points out that the contamination of foods and the drugs with asbestos from these sources has been FDA for several years The petition recounts a known to long series series -1- letters between Barry Castleman of CSPI and the FDA in which which FDA at first made general remarks about having a study in progress analyzing beverages for asbestos and later denied that proper analytical methods were available In the meanwhile one study finding asbestos fibers in intravenous drugs had already been published and another another showing asbestos in gin and beer was announced at Senate hearings by CSPI earlier this year This deliberate subterfuge . . shows the FDA's contempt for its stated mission of protecting the public health stated Castleman and Dr. Albert Fritsch CSPI director in a recent In In August August August August August of of 1972 1972 1972 1972 the the the FDA FDA FDA recognized recognized recognized recognized recognized recognized recognizedrecognized recognized recognized recognized the the the hazards hazards hazards hazards hazards hazards hazards of of food processing which contain asbestos Talc deposits commonly contain asbestos impurities EDF Attorney Scott Lang Lang says final action on this proposed regulation has apparently apparently been postponed indefinitely despite the continued addition addition of of containing talc in food Lang went on to say that the recent EPA prohibition against drinking as- contaminated municipal water near the Reserve Mining Mining Mining Company in Minnesota is an ominous sign of the ubiquitousness of asbestos hazards to the public Other recent actions on asbestos include a lawsuit by EDF CSPI and several other groups against the Environmental Protection Agency over the asbestos mercury and beryllium standards sstandardstandards promulgated by that Agency They argue for tighter construction and demolition standards needed to protect public public health from airborne asbestos CSPI recently petitioned The FeF deral ederal Trade Commission for hazard labeling of all consumer products products containing asbestos and for an inventory of all bestos products on the market Another lawsuit by EDP and the CIO demands more stringent stringent asbestos standard Fo the workplace than those published last year by the the labor labor " df 1