Document Vn8LKL9XbBok7eR47j41RjXo

Inc October 12, 1973 -^I/W A /"A/ - ?%/ Dear Concerned Citizen: Our Eco-Tips #G on Food, Chemicals and Health is included in this mailing. Our food committee has done extensive research in this field, utilizing scientific studies, information- from government agencies and suggestions from other consumer groups. We have tried to present the most relevant data we could find on issues of common concern to the general public. We realize, however, that the Eco-Tips will not, answer all the questions all of you have about chemicals in your food. If you do have unanswered questions, we encourage you to read further on the subject; a reading list which you may find helpful is included on the back of the Eco-Tips. Please note that we are offering our Living Garden calendar again this year (see flyer on back). We thank all of you who responded so generously to our appeal for funds in our last mailing. Our friends are vital to us if we are to continue with our work. We are most grateful for your help. Yours sincerely Nancy Ignatius President 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20007, 202/965-00 Botird of Directors Mrs. Paul Ignatius, President Mrs, Russell Tram Mrs C:yd*r H Sht'iey, Jr. Mrs. Paul Mickey Mrs, Norman Asher Mrs, Albert [3, Carter, Jr, Mrs. Carlos tiibson Mrs Philip Graham Mrs. Robert Hallman Mrs, Richard L. Ottmgcr Mrs. George Pe-d.eton Mrs. Charles L Pc>or Mrs, John Rh ><- elan J Mrs, George VY F'jjrk, . Mrs. Wi'liam $<eyton ASI 00003203 M ' | i j! || tekfaj !j * !! /? li )\ C I l! j, / j> | V/Vrf"|! y, N > : 'i !'TB E LI VING~G A RDEN !r -- AN il ': LWIROWIIN I"AI, i \-S~ \ ,\f , CAI.I \D\R f *S --') .&<r ! ^ 1 #\ ! LiziJ Sponsored and Published by CONCERN, INC. and the AUDUBON NATURALIST SOCIETY OF THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC STATES Slugs eat holes in garden vegetables. To control these pests effectively you can use household flour, sawdust mulch or salt. You don't need poison spiays. The purpose in gardening is to create, not to destroy. And with the Living Garden Calendar you can build healthy natural surroundings without pesticides which damage the environment. This month-by-month guide to growing things naturally includes tips on soil fertility, pest and disease identification, plant requirements, natural controls and companion plantings. Printed in green and brown on white recycled paper, the 9 x 12" calendar contains over 150 attractive illustrations by Smithsonian artist George Venable A major goal in publishing the calendar has been to present accurate and useful information. The contents, prepared by author-gardener Joan Kirk, have been reviewed by leading botanists, entomologists and horticulturalists. Send $3.00 check or money order ($2.50 each for 10 or more) in the enclosed postpaid envelope. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Concern/ANS 1621 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 20009 Please send me ____ Living Garden Calendar(s) @ $3.00 each ($2.50 each for 10 or more). I have enclosed Qiy. check/money order in the amount of $ _____ __________. Price includes 4th class postage; please allow 2 - 3 weeks for delivery. Name Address City State _____ Zip Please make all checks payable to: CONCERN/ANS V........... ....................._ _______________ ASI 00003204 The 1974 Living Garden Calendar Create o healthy garden without pestcidcs which damage the environment, 'this Sxl2" calendar is a month-by-month guide to growing things naturally. More than 100 attractive illustrations. Printed on recycled paper and published by Concern, Inc., and the Audubon Naturalist Society. To order, complete the form below and enclose your check or money order tretore mailing. Please make chocks payable to Concom/ANS and allow 2-3 weeks for calendar delivery. Concem/AMS 1621 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20003 Please send ms ,,__ LIVING GAHOEN CALEMOARJS) at $3.00 each ($2.60 each tor 10 or more). Enclosed is my check or money order (or $ Name_________________ _ . ..................... fMeaSO Print Address. City, State, Zip. Have you enclosed payment? * ASI 00003205 Concern, Inc Eco-Tips #6 y* ^Co - r^GLS -)rH^ *** ju >*- '^JSE#*' \^U tT^1 7^4* A--- V* ? ! I 7*w '/C^, . | Most Americans eat a diet nch m "foods" created tn a chemistry laboratory and made "delicious'' with sugar. Thickening agents, artificial flavor mg and color* ing, preservatives, synthetic emulsifiers, accidental ad ditives (pesticides, water pollutants and processing aids), animal feed additives (growth hormones and antibiotics), and a few added vitamins moke up our "chemical feast." Most of the thousands of chemical additions arc as sumed to bo safe, but not infrequently a chemical widely used m our food is found to be dangerous and is banned. Cy that time two hundicd million people may have been exposed to an unknown danger and often yeais elapse betoic a suspect chemical is finally removed from the market. ADDITIVES: COMMON AND CONTROVERSIAL Vitamins and Minerals -- There is, of course, noth ing wiong, per se, with vitamins and minerals-- except for the possibility of getting too much A and D. Their presence as additives, hcwc-vet, often indicates that the food is missing in natural nutri ents (i.e.,it has lost them m the pro cess mg), as with white bread and processed cereals and flour, Some times the manufacturer will put back a few vita mins and mmerals and .use the words "enriched" or "fortified" on his- product. Cereals made this way tend to become an expensive form of sugar coated vitamin pills. Pro"'`Sf,cd, foi tihed food-; such ar- thnsc do mt t,-kp into account the human nop''* for rr.jirv-mp nr trace minerals such as zinc, copper, chromum and manganese which exist in those parrs of the grain that ht.ve been ref mod out.a'ong with a number of vitamins Trace element deficiencies exist in large numbeis of Americans, contributing to heart dis ease and to a decreased 'existence *o diseases m general. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to ovcily processed bteads and cereals m ih* market placewhole gram breads, brown nee, wheat germ, gran ola, and other who1 gram cereals, Nitrites -- Almost ever / sample of bacon analyzed in die Department of Agriculture's lcDOrntorie$ has contained nhiosamines, minute amounts of which have caused cancer in oveiy species tested, and, when eaten by a pregnant animal, can cause both tumurs arid birth defects in the offspring. Nitrosnmines form when nitrites combine with acnines found m food, diugs, beverages, end pos sibly in the stomach itself. Sodium mtnte is sometimes used to color and slightly flavor cured meat and fish, including ham, bacon, hot dogs, corned beef, luncheon meats, and smoked fish. r 00003206 2 The moat industry maintains that nitrite is essential to pi event the growth of the b.iciena that causa botulism However, neither br.Jtwuist nor break fast sausages contain a preservative. and yet they are entirely safe to eat, Nor does the fact that they dre greyish instead of pinkish deter the shopper. Other means of preservation that can be used to replace nitrites include refrigeration, freezing, and sterilization. Eating bacon will not necessarily cause cancer, but it should be clem that all unnecessary hazards should tie eliminated from our food supply. Nitrogen fertilizer can be transformer] into nitrates by biological processes in the sod. In the spring, excessive amounts of nitrate fertilizer run-off can enter our drinking water supply. This situation can lead to rnethemoylobm foi mation in infants, result ing in oxygen deficiency If there aie infants m your household your well water should be tested for rebates by your local or county health depart ment. Cyclamates, Saccharin and Sugar -- The National Academy of Sciences began warning the public against artificial sweeteneis m 1904--sixteen years before cyclamates wore banned. During that six teen year period, animal tests revealed that cycla mates caused bladd-Ji cancer, birth defects, and mutations, but the FDA did not comply with the law that prohibits the use in food of unsafe chem icals until tremendous pressure horn Congress and the public forced it to take final action m 1970. The cycfam-nto industry is currently trying to change the ruling Cyclamates die cheaper than sugar and therefore ore more profitable for the food and beverage industries to use. Saccharin is another synthetic sweetener, three to five hundred times sweeter than sugar, costing 1 /20th as much to the manufnctuicr. It is widely used in "diet" products, although it is suspect as a weak carcinogen, and must carry the warning lobe! --"saccharin is a sweetener which should be used only by persons who must restrict their intake of ordinary sweets." The warning does not seem to be taken seriously by the public, Sugar! Americans eat a tremendous amount of it, much of it hidden in manufactured foods Our per capita consumption of sofr drinks has doubled in the past twelve years, And the processed food in dustries supply us with an ever-increasing amount of pie, cake, ice cream and presweetened cereal. "Sugar" includes sucrose, dexti osc, glucose, invert sugar, and corn syiup Many people fwe the idea that you eat sugar for enngy Sugar can give you "quick energy" but no other benefits. For "ouick energy" a glass of orange juice, with its vitamins A and C, is excellent. For fusraincri energy, protein is the key. Refined sugar docs not contain vita mins, minerals or protein -which accounts for the words "empty caloncs" often used to describe sugar. "Empty calories" replace nub mous food in the diet. If 20% of your calone intake comes from sugar (which is average for Americans), it moons that 100% of your vitamin, mineral and piotein re quirements must come from 80% of your food. 3 Excessive amounts of sug.tr may i\hiv tooth decay, Obesity, heart disease, vitamin deficmnoes. and diabetes, Refined carbohydrates (sug.it and starch) may contribute to cancer of the intestine and rectum. Artificial Coloring -- Nearly 95% of ah artificial colorings are synthetic dyes, like the coal Uif dyes widely used in the past. Because of the great in crease in factory-made and artificially cofoied foods since Work] War II, thousands of pounds of these dyes are now certified annually by the FDA, Certification means that a coloring has boon in spected for impurities, not that adequate toxicol ogy studies have been conducted. Colors which have been in wide use have been shown by further studies to be toxic or cancerproducing and have been banned by the FDA. The most recent example of this is Violet I, a food stamp dye banned earlier this year Dyes still in use have not been Thoroughly tested, and hardly any studies have been done for mutations and birth defects. Artificial coloring need not be listed at all on the labels of cheese, butter and ice cream, but ap pears in most of these products In other products such as beverages, candy, ice cream, dessert pow ders, baked goods, hot dogs, cereals, maraschino cherries, pet food, cake decoration and food color ing it is Only listed as "artificial coloring" or "U S. Certified Color," not giving its exact name. This is unfortunate since many of these products con tain colors about which there is current scientific controversy. Grocers' bins should, but do not. indicate when fresh produce is artificially colored, as m the cose of Citrus Red 2, a potentially hazardous substance sometimes used to color tin; skin of oranges. Arti ficial coloring often deceives the shopper and may be hazardous. The dye emotene, used to coloi margarine, is not harmful, A Few Additives happen to have some nutritive value, such as calcium propionate, casein, ascorbic acid, lecithin, enu ferrous gluconate Some that should be avoided are BHA, EJHT (also known as "frcshnesj piesoivcr"), brommated vegetable Oils, and monosodium glutamate -- particularly for babies. HEALTH: HAZARDS AMD SAFEGUARDS Not all additives have been syst rndtically tested. Many have not been studied for their ability to cause cancer or other diseases such as heart disease arid brain damage; fewer fnve been te:u:d on pregnant an imals for birth defects and misr.am.KjCs; and hatdly any have been studied for qcnetn mutations. Many chemicals have no unmodiote toxic efforts and com plications do not appear for months or years after a person it exposed to the chemical. Carcinogens -- chemicals that cause cancer, 11 is a common umconceotion that any chemical will cause cancer m test animals il fed in ha go enough doses, This is not true. The National thmeer Insti tute says, "Of 120 pesticioes and mdustiial chem icals winch were tested in a particular study only * ASI 00003207 4 11 resulted in a dearly elevated tumor incidence when fed nt the m.'iyimum tolerated dose." (The mnxiimim tolerated dose n-Ters lo the li.qhrst level Ot winch 4i chemical can In? ("d in on annua! withojt causing n to die of omu: poisoning.) It is sometimes .linked that ingesting a small amount of o cjionoiji-n is ail right. But some cancer researchers say that small amounts of car cinogens (1) may accumulate m the body, and (2) that each minute dose may cause minute damage. Another argument often heard is that a chemical which causes cancer m animals does not necessarily cause it m humans. But if we are lo avoid mass human experiments, we must accept the possibility that human reaction to a chemical may be the same as that of an animal. In fact, humans arc more sensitive to some chemicals than animals, as is the case with thalidomide, to which women arc 30 to 200 times as sensitive as iabbns, mice, rats, hamsters, and dogs. Teratogens -- chemicals that cause birth defects. According to the National Foundation-March of Dunes, every year 250,000 American babies are born with such defects as mental retardation, blindness and heoit defects, and it is estimated that environmental factors, such as food additives, drugs, and pollution contribute to 80% of these birth defects. In 1962, the thalidomide disaster (babies born with deformed arms and kgs because of the seda tive taken by their mothers during pregnancy) dramatized the possibility that supposedly safe chemicals m our increasingly synthetic environ ment may endanger the development of an unborn baby. Mutagens -- chemicals that cause genetic changes Genetic mutations may niter the development of the next generation or generations with such re sults as hemophilia, cleft paljte, rncntd retarda tion, Mongolism, and decreased resistance to disease. Although qerLticisis developed practical methods of detecting chemical mutagens m the 196Q`$, only a few food additives have been tested so fai, and the FDA has not required manufacturers to test foi these; mutagenic effects. Minimum testing should include: Acute toxicity tests to show the effects of large single doses of a chemical. Short-teim toxicity tests of 30-180 day exposure to show the effects of a cheniTj! mnnly on liver and kidney function and blood composition Long-tom or lifetime tests (two yeai s m nvs and mice, seven years in dog.') to show whether a chemical causes cancer oc chrome effects Other spcciai tests to show interference with repro duction, biith defects and mutations A system in which testing InboratOM es could be truly independent--by inserting an imoartmi mid dleman between the company that proposes a fond additive and the laboratoiy that tests it, it is no longer acceptable to rely solely upon research data organized, bounht and paid for by the chemical manufacturers themselves. 5 PROTECTION: REGULATIONS AND REFORMS The GRAS list -- In 1958 Congress passed j law re quirinq manufacturers to test a new c^ft-n,cal for safety prior to using it in food Adchtiv'E-i = r?ady m use before this date were accepted as be n- - soiely on the basis of their having beon us-^d m food for many years; scientific evidence of safety z.=s not re quired. These eie the chemicals of the GRAS list (Generally Recognized As Safe), Manufacturers claim the right to decide v.na* consti tutes adequate scientific evidence of sa*' = ty. And often the FDA waits until after the ch*,-r .a s are in the food before it challenges the ma * ^'acturers* judgment. In 1969 the President ordered a GRAS - >t review, which is slowly progressing. * The Delaney Amendment -- was passed cv Congress m 1958 and specifically prohibits m foop any chem ical that causes cancer when fed at any lo. ei `Pcmmdls or man. This amendment continues to -"'joy the support of leaders of the cancer research ccr'.nunity, even though criticized by some nvustry spokesmen. Unfortunately, as stated earlier, there is c't-:o a con siderable lapse of time before the FOA > -.nat it has adequate scientific evidence to take a che^ c:-l off the market. * Labeling -- The FDA and the Department AgncuH ture have established "Standards of Idem :y" which specify those additives and ingredients tr y. must or may be used in common foods, such a: oread, ice cream, jam, mayonnaise, soft drinks, hot deps. etc In such "standardized" foods only the name c* me prod uct, need appear on the Ubel, although sc-times the manufacturer arbitrarily lists some of the - :*ediehts presumably those which make hi> product >-:^m most attractive. For example, mayonnaise has thirteen m-,'-r = :ory and optional ingredients which reed ''ci be -*-j on the Inbd, mclud-ng (alone with 10 others) r ' , : >r.ij:von all spices except two, end a choice m sev.- 'rvecten- ers " The oonstiucnon of mas ononisj - 'Sative'y simple compared with soft drm-.s, -ce ; and white bread. The absence of full ingredient labeling <s = c-jfticular handicap to the 39 million peon!*? wito ' r-rcies or special low salt or diabetic diets Nor r.:; : allow a person to judge the quality of ^ prod' c Now, for example, can one know if the absence of e of addi tives means that there are none m to; pro:_:w, or that, the product is covered by "a staco-id" : -s full of additives. A bill (H.R, 1650) introduced by Congre^--:-i Rosen thnl from Mew York and meetmu with n . ?. , oppose lion, is awaiting action in Congros It v\ ,, O require complete myiedicnt labeling. Pesticide Residues -- Some 32,000 past u :. c -odunts, mcludmq insecticides, herbiodt-'s, olant regu- lators, lodentiodes, bactericides, r.rJ Umt ; made from ono or more of 900 choro eai cc ' -:^-'ds -are currently registoiod with the Un u.d S:':- environ mental Protection Agency, Hundreds of these insecticides sora.:2 on our fruits ond vegetables leaving resiouas on ;-? food we i ASI 00003208 6 cat, In addition, herbicides and icdcnticidos when ap plied TO ihe giound con rntci the root systems of agri cultural products, Fungicide., often applied after harvesting, odd on additional chemical residue to our daily diets. Regulations to protect human health and the environ* went rest m several governmental agencies. The EnviionmenuTl Piotection Agency is responsible for set ting the toleianco level or legal limit for residues of specific registn ed pesticides. The Food and Drug Ad ministration & responsible for the surveillance of resi dues on crops sold m the market, and the U,S. Depart ment of Agriculture is the momtonnq agency for pesti cides m meat and deny products However, none of (hase agencies can control or monitor our enure food supply, nor can they evaluate all the residue accumu lation from the various items m an every day meal. Governmental regulatory agencies rely on animal tests supplied by the pesticide manufacturing companies to determine the potential toxicological effects of pesti cide chemicals on human bemgs, Also regulations and analyses urn based on average dietary patterns, thus not truly applicable to those individuals with special diets--vegetarians, medical patients, and young child ren, for instance. For specific dietary questions you should write to' Mr, Henry J Korp, Deputy Assistant Admimstidtor *oi Pesticide Programs, EPA, 401 M Street, $W, Room 539 East, Washington, D.C. 20460. Although the application procedures on pesticides products are written to protect both the applicator and the consumer, there is no practical way to check each individual applicant's adherence to directions or to check each individual product for pesticide residue. However, the Fedeiol Environmental Pesticide Control Act of 1972 states that pesticides must be classified for "general" use or "restricted" use within two years after October, 1974. Those placed in the restricted category may be used only by, or under the super vision of, certified applicators, or under such other conditions as the EPA Administrator may require, to protect man and the environment. Tne need for j re-evaluation of the FDA's resting pro cedures and market-monitoring programs has been called for by consumer organizations and brought to the public's attention in numerous Congressional hear ings. A provision m the Federal Food Inspection Act of 1973, now m Congressional committee, is geared to increase FDA's responsibilities and effectiveness in monitoring the safety of our food supply, and fo open pending rule-making procedures for public comment. Wo have all been brainwashed to some degree by the food industry and the FDA, seduced by processed foods, and led trance-like toward malnutrition by television ads. There is need for a national food policy, coordinated between the Food and Drug Administration, the De partment of Health, Education and Welfare, the De partment of Agriculture, the Fedeial Trade Commis sion and the Environmental Protection Agency -- a policy which will deal with present and future human health as it relates to the safety and quality of food. 1 CONCERN RECOMMENDS: *EAT WISELY: Meats Avoid bacon, hot dogs and all nitrite-containing meat and fish. * Liver is a problem: It is highly nutritious, but also it is the organ which collects food contam inants such as growth hormones and pesticides. Fifty to seventy percent of beef livers are condemned due to abscesses, Trim off as much fat as possible Some pesti cides are stored in fat. Fish * Several years ago, high levels of mercury were found in swordfish, tuna, marlin and other large ocean fish and m some smaller fish in inland water where mercury was being dumped by in dustry. The FDA, m 1969. set a guideline of .5ppm of mercury in fish, and it is their view that most fish from commercial catches, includ ing tuna, now fall wthin that guideline. Con cern, however, recommends agamst eating daily portions of large fish (such as swordfish and tuna) over long periods of time. The angler should never eat fish from waters contaminated by sewage or industrial efflu ents. If in doubt, check with fish and wildlife or health authorities in your state. Bread, Cereal, Flour and Rice Eat whole gram, unrefined cereals, whole wheat and rye breads, and brown rice. * Avoid bleached white flour. Fruits and Vegetables There is often a trade off: to peel the fruits and vegetables (e.g. apples, potatoes and car rots) and avoia the pcst.cide , duo. cr act the peel and benefit trom its nutrients. * In any case, wash thoroughly all fruits and vegetabl es, Grow your own vegetables cr buy them from local organic farmers or farmers' markets. Be awaie that vegetables m your supermarket may have been stored for long pei^ods. An article in Science Magazins, Juiy, 1972, reports that some vegetables have Inch concentrations of niuates, from nitrogen m the soil, that could, during shipment or storage, be convened by microorganisms imo nitrites. Drinks * Limit your consumot on of soft drinks. Ap proximately 80 irvvedtcnts, some mandatory, some optional, are used by the scit drink manu facturer to consruct his product These in clude potent*^ y harmful ingredients such as artificial colonrgs, orommated vegetable o:l, BHA, BHT, (to n;n? a few), as well as the empty calories associated with highly sugared product. In additton to the above ingredients all cola drinks and Dr. Pepper contain caffeine, which # ASX 00003209 b has the some effect on the nervous system as the caffeine m coffee. *WR1TE TOR: Natural grams and cereals if there ore no health food sides in your area. There ore many moil order outlets. Here arc three: Stur-Dcc Health Products Company, Inc. Island Park, New York 11558 Walnut Acres Penns Creek, Pennsylvania 17862 Houston Health Food Distributors 6723 Stearns Houston, Texas 77021 Norvchcmical pesticide protection: Rodafe Press. Ernmaus, PA 1S049, has a month ly magazine, "Organic Gardening end Farming" as well os lists of organic farmers and farmers' markets around the country. The Cooperative Extension Service of your state agricultural college lias information about non-chemical farming, "The L;ving Garden Calendar" is published by Concern and The Audubon Naturalist Society, 1621 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Dept. ET, Wash ington, D.C. 20009. *READ; "Eater's Digest" by Michael F. Jacobson "The Chemical Feast" by James S. Turner "Sowing the Wind" by Harrison Wellford "Diet for a Small Planet" by Frances Moore Lapp6 *W0R1< FOR: A strengthened and effective food and drug poln *JOiN: For information on consumer action in yo,;r c area dealing with food and food additives conta Consumer Action for Improved Food and Orut do James S. Turner 1625 Eye Street, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20006 "Many Americans see the extensive use of fo-j additives as raising not only profound health an economic implications, but also general quest/Or about the very nature of our civilization." (For word to "Eater's Digest"). Dr. Jean Mayer, Professor of Nutritio Horvaid University, and Chairman of the first White Hou^e Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health Concern, Inc. 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W, Washington, D.C. 20007 Concern, Inc., 1973 October, 1973 Additional copins available at $10.00 per hundred. Primed on Recycled Paper ASI 00003210