Newspaper Article

Out of the West: Food Safety

1988

Overview

In essence, the new law says that Californians must be warned in a ''clear and reasonable'' way if exposed to chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects. The chemicals can occur anywhere: not just in food, but in the workplace, in the home or at the gasoline station. No warning is required if it can be proved that ''no significant risk'' is presented by a carcinogen or that chemicals causing birth defects would show ''no observable effect'' at 1,000 times the level of exposure. The real question is, is the amount of arsenic in that food safe or not? If it's not safe it shouldn't be sold. If it is safe, it should be sold and you shouldn't scare a consumer by saying, ''Oh, by the way, there's a little bit of harmless arsenic.'' Mr. [Sherwin Gardner]: We're waiting to see how the ''naturally occurring'' rule will work in practice. People have been making cheese and cooking steak and other foods for centuries. You can't make bread without forming a little bit of alcohol. You can't make cheese without forming a little bit of acetaldehyde.

• Publisher: New York Times Company
• Subject: Birth defects / Cancer / CARRICK, ROGER L / Carrick, Roger Lane / Food additives / Food safety / Gardner, Sherwin / LABELS AND LABELING / LAW AND LEGISLATION / REINHOLD, ROBERT / Roe, David B / Warriner, Thomas E / WARRINER, THOMAS E (UNDER SEC)