Document r69ZyXBnM0XZypxzmnyjb7deV

Page 16 September 27, 1971 FOOD CHEMICAL NEW! Parties to the current hearings on DDT cancellations (See FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS, August 30, Page 9) expected the report to be Introduced into the hearing record -- but weren't sure Which side would do so. The committee, headed by Dr. James G. Hilton of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, recommended reduction in the use of DDT in the U.S. "at the accelerated rate of the past few years with the goal cl virtual elimination of any significant additions to the environment." The continued availability of DDT for specific uses essential to the public health control of disease bearing vectors was sought. However, the committee sought encouragement of alternatives, review of any continued uses, creation of another panel by 19 73 to review new evidence and a later review of the relationship of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to DDT. , On the issue as to whether or not early findings of environmental harm might have been due to PCBs rather than DDT -- (SeeJOODCHEMICAL NEWS, Sept. 20, Page 3), an issue germane to the current hearings and recently pointed up by Agri culture Department officials - - the committee said: "... It would appear that generally the PCB bias to the analytical determination of DDT, DDD or DDE has been hoH continues trt be insignificant in most foods, feeds and environmental samples ... An exception would be fish ' and fish-eating birds and any associated byproducts." The committee's nine "conclusions" covered environmental and health factors. In brief, they were -- (1) While use is declining, quantities of DDT and its metabolites in water and soil have not markedly decreased. Declines in usage were attributed to development of resistance by "many Insect species," introduction of replacements and increasing concern. Levels were thought to have declined from about 70 million pounds annually for 1956-62 to about 30 mil lion pounds in 1968 and 1969. (2! CDT and tts metabolites (primarily DDE) have spread throughout the global biosphere and arc accumulating in river estuaries and oceans. (3) The committee was convinced of "present or probable damage to some molluscs,, crusta- 'joan3, fish and birds." .' (4) Present contauUuaUou is piuicipaUy attributable to a iarge existing environmental pool that is recycling at low concentrations and which seems likely to decrease relatively slowly over a number of decades. (01 There has been a slight but significant reduction in the amount of DDT present in foods ingested by man, aUliuuyh frequency of low-level contamination has Increased. MONS 03031 September 27, 1971 Page 1 7 FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS Elsewhere In the report, the committee used Food and Drug Administration market basket studies In noting that "the levels in food arc now more closely In equilibrium with the levels of DDT in the environment and thus cannot be expected to change quickly as the result of new restrictions In the use of DDT. " However, the com mittee said, "samples also have shown a continuing rise in the percentage of diet samples showing a detectable level of DDT." (6) DDT has a very low acute toxicity to man.. (7) Prolonged exposure to relatively high doses of DDT has been demonstrated to be fumorogenic and possibly carcinogenic In rodents. However, based on current intake and storage levels in man and his domestic animals, the committee said, "the probability of tumorogenests and carcinogenesis Is low." (0) Evidence of mutagenicity Is incomplete, and there Is no evidence of teratogenicity. (9) PCBs could have been responsible for some of the reports of the widespread distribution of DDT In the environment. JAPANESE GOVERNMENT COMPLAINS ABOUT 100% TUNA INSPECTION BY FDA The Japanese government complained! to the U.S, State Department and the Food and Drug Administration last week over the number of inspections and detentions of tunafish Imports. FDA's 100% inspection of Imported tuna, triggered by the mercury crisis, uncovered 239 cases (about 92,000 cans) of decomposed tuna in 1971, compared to 10 cases found to be decomposed in 1970. At the request of the Japanese embassy, FDA officials met with Japanese business men last week In an attempt to work out a certification program that would substitute for the 100% inspection. In a talking paper delivered to the State Department, the Japanese government said, "Under present circumstances, the government of Japan cannot help but consider that the measures taken by the FDA relating to decomposed substances exceed the requirement called for from the point of protection of consumers." Also last week, the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration attempted to assure buyers of tuna and other ocean fish of lack of hazard. NOAA quoted FDA Commissioner Edwards as saying that, "With the exception of swordfish, the FDA continues to find no hazard to the consuming public from mercury contamination in deep-water food-fish." MQNS 031732 Fuge 14 September 27, 19 71 FOOD CHEMICAL MEWS can screen and scrutinize all of the data available, with a view to determining 'adequacy' to support the claims being made. "... Publication of data supporting ad claims may enhance the role of competition as an effective regulator of advertising practices, it will replace to some extent the need for government Intervention (in the form of liti gation, rulemaking, etc.) with free market Incentives in the form of greater consumer awareness and sophistica tion with regard to ad claims. As we increase the flow sf relevant Information into consumers' hands, we may thereby increase the consumer's ability to make rational choices between competing products, and thereby diminish the necessity for formal Commission action or other inter ference with the marketing practices of American business." ' Kirkpatrick, In reviewing other changes made by FTC recently, noted tte t the Commission's "traditional lawyer-economist-physical scientist orientation has recently been slightly modified by the addition to our staff of a nutritionist and a psychologist who are assigned to the Division of National Advertising." FTC's newly-acquired nutritionist is Mrs. Judith A. Cooke, who recently .witched from the Food and Drug Administration's Division of Nutrition to FTC (See FOOD CHEMI CAL NEWS, Sept. 13, Page 2). The FTC Chairman said the addition of Mrs. Cooke and a psychologist is part of an "attempt to add to our legal staff some other kinds of perspective and expertise." A key consumer spot at FTC will be filled by Alfred W. Cortese, 34, a Philadelphia attorney. He will be Assistant Executive Dlrector'for Legal Coordination, and w.lll have the responsibility of coordinating regional office actions In the Bureaus of Com petition and Consumer Protection. Kirkpatrick told the symposium that "our relationship with the FDA has never been better ..." The two agencies on Sept. 16 formalized their revised "memorandum of understanding." Actually, FDA and FTC had agreed to the new memo some months before (See FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS, June 14, Page 16), FISHMEAL, TROUT CHOW SEIZED BECAUSE OF PCB'S The Food and Drug Administration recently seized shipments of fishmeal and of trout chow because of the presence .of polychlorinated biphenyls. Previous seizures Lticduse of PCBs involved shell eggs ami catfish food (See FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS, Sept. 20, Page 35). Fishmeal seized was shipped by East Coast Terminals, Inc., Wilmington, N.C., to Harrold's Poultry) Inc., Wlntervllle, Ga. The accidental spill of PCBs from a heat-exchange unit which set off the current crisis over PCBs occurred at East HONS 031733 September 27, 1971 Page 25 FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS Coast Terminals, but most of the contaminated fishmeal was voluntarily kept off the market without seizure. The seized trout chow had been shipped by kaiston Purina Co. , St. Louis, Mo., to a branch at Lumber City, Ga. Meanwhile, FDA seized a shipment of canned red sour pitted cherries on the ground that the product did not meet the standard of quality for canned cherries, In that It contained more than 15% by count blemished cherries. The product was shipped by Stokely Van Camp, Inc. , Hart, Mich. , to a branch at Tipton, Ind. Recent seizures under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act involved: (1) Lime Juice and mangoes, shipped by Lou Scharf, Inc. , New York City (FDA also alleged that water had been added to the lime juice): (2) Sweet pickled apricots, Maggi Swiss Style Dumplings, Hawaiian Coconut Snow, canned gooseberries, and canned fish balls, shipped by Jutllard Fancy Foods Co. , San Francisco, Mele-Koe Farms, Kual, Hawaii, and firms In Switzerland, Scotland, and Sweden to Holly World Foods, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah; (3) Veron Quince Jam, imported from Switzerland, in posses sion of Treasure Island Food Mart, Inc. , Chicago, 111. Seizures made recently of Bon Vtvant soups (See FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS, Aug. 23, Page 28) shipped by Bon Vlvant Soups, Inc., Newark, N.J. , were made in posses sion of: (1) Cal Pro Ltd., Greensboro, N.C.: (2) R. E. Kimball Co., Amesbury, Mass.; (3) S.E. Rykoff & Co., Honolulu, Hawaii; (4) Sibley, Lindsay, & Curr Co. , Rochester, N.Y.; (5) A.J.Altman & Sons, Rochester, N.Y.; (6) Farmers Seafood Co. , Inc. , Shreveport, La.; (7) Jackson Distributing Co., Inc., New Bedford, Mass.; (8) Braden's California Products, Inc., Cleveland, O.; (9) Super Service, Kansas City, Kansas: (10) Florida Fish & Poultry Market, Indianapolis, Ind.; (11) Kehe Food Distributors, Rolling Meadows, 111.; (12) F&F Products, Inc., Dundee, 111.; (13) Colonia Foods Division of B. Green & Co., Inc., Lansdowne, Md.; and (14) Steinberg Fine Foods, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y. CONSUMER AGENCY BILL GOES TO FULL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS UNIT The full House Government Operations Committee goes into executive session today (Sept. 27) with Its Legislative subcommittee's version of the bill to establish an independent Consumer Protection Agency. Rep. Rosenthal (D-N.Y.) said he would challenge parts of the btl and try to'get the session opened to the public, but, Chairman Hollflelri,(D-Callf.) stuck by the subcommittee version (HR 10835).' . Countering charges by Ralph Nader that the bill has been "stripped of Its integrity and effectiveness," Holifield insisted it was the strongest bill to be gained from the House and said, "A vigorous administrator can go a long way with this bill. " The subcommittee took out of the bill provisions that would have allowed the CPA 1intervene In informal agency actions and investigations. Rosenthal said he would $> HONS 031734 Piige 3 0 September 27, 1971 TOOD CHEMICAL NEWS 121.2520 for adhesives would be amended by a Petition filed by Moore & Munger and La Wall 4 Harrlsson Research Laboratories, noted Sept. 24, to clear Fischer-Tropsch Waxes as components of adhesives. '. TEMPORARY TOLERANCE SET; PETITION FILED The Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 23 granted to Amchem Products a temporary tolerance for residues of ethephon of 0.5 p.p.m. in or on walnuts. The temporary tolerance for the plant regulator -- {2-chloroethyl)phosphonlc acid -- expires Sept. 15, 1972. A pesticide petition filed by TRW/Hazelton Laboratories, on behalf of Hollywood Termite Control, which was noted Sept. 23, would revise the tolerances estab lished for aluminum phosphide to provide for fumigation of all nonperishable raw agricultural commodities. The petition would set tolerance of 0.1 p.p.m. for residues of phosphine from use of aluminum phosphide. The" current tolerance of 0.1 p.p.m. is limited to residues in or on barley, corn, millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, and wheat. PC3'3 FOUND IN LAKE MICHIGAN SALMON AT 11 P.P.M. 1 Tests of 100 Coho salmon in two Michigan areas led last week to the halting of . a salmon distribution program in Michigan as polychlorinated biphenyls were found as high as 11 p.p.m. FDA's guideline for fish is 5 p.p.m. Also last week. Food and Drug and Agriculture officials still were searching for the cause of PCB contamination found in turkeys in Minnesota (See FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS, Sept. 20, Page 2). As a result of the Minnesota contamination. Rep. Ryan (D-N.Y.) was intensifying his campaign to remove PCBs from the market. Introducing a bill (HR 1008S) to ban the use of PCBs entirely, Ryan said: "Perhaps the most startling aspect of this most recent contamination in Minnesota is that despite six weeks of effort, the government has been unable to ascertain the source of this contamination. . "The implications of this and previous incidents are clear. As long as PCBs are allowed to be used unfettered, our environment, our food supply, and our health will be increasingly threatened." MONS As part of the government's Intensified effort on PCBs (See FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS, Sept. 13, Page 22), a dozen scientists met last week with the Working Group" September 27, 1971 Page 31 FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS on Pesticides of the President's Committee on the Environment. An Environmental Protection Aqency researcher told of wider contamination, stating that more than 20 Isomers of PCBs had been detected in liver samples from sea otters. A USDA scientist reporting at the same meeting told of development of a method of distinguishing PCB from toxaphene, which has interfered in analyses. The Minnesota PCB contamination has led to the detention of seven flocks of turkeys, approximately 50,000 birds, all raised by the same producer near Wydena, Minn. No other Instances of contamination had been found from an intensified USDA Inspection program in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, northeast Nebraska and northwest Iowa. The intensified inspection was started September 13. The contamination was discovered by Swift in Detroit Lakes, Minn, and reported to USDA on September 6. - Feed for the contaminated turkeys was traced back to two feed mills and a rendering plant, where officials at first suspected contaminated fat used in the feeds. However, this was ruled out after further investigation, leaving the specific cause of the contamination as a mystery. In Michigan, Governor Milliken ordered a halt to a state program for distribution of Coho salmon after they had spawned. There is no commercial fishing In Lake Michigan because of DDT contamination discovered in 1966. In the 1966 controversy over smoked chub from the lake, Michigan fisheries had asserted that the contamination found by FDA was PCB, rather than DDT. USDA URGES WIDER FOOD FORTIFICATION Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Richard Lyng last week called on industry to follow the Department's lead on food fortification "so that all Americans receive the high fortification levels we supply In our donated foods. " Testifying before hearings of Chairman McGovern's (D-S.Dak.) Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs Sept. 23, Lyng said USDA has improved the nutritional value of the foods distributed through the Food Distribution Program "so that the packages now contain 100% or more of the Recommended Daily Allowances of protein, iron, calcium,vitamins AandC,, thiamin, and riboflavin, and 80% of the needed calories." Emphasizing that enrichment and fortification are used wherever possible to gain the maximum value from donated foods, he noted that evaporated milk, instant nonfat dry milk, and all purpose flour are fortified with nutrients and vitamins, and he added, cornmeal, corn grits, farina, and rice are enriched with thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin, and fortified with increased amounts of iron. HONS 03173b