Forwarded message: From JIMPSON@cite.esusda.gov Wed Apr 7 12:57:02 1993 Message-Id: To: distribution:; (see end of body) From: JIMPSON@es-cit.esusda.gov Organization: USDA Extension Service Date: 7 Apr 93 14:50:06 EST Subject: final form response Priority: normal X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail v2.3 (R5). ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- To: mfitzner, jimpson From: "Elizabeth Andress" Date: 7 Apr 93 14:13:21 EST Subject: final form response Reply-to: eandress@esusda.gov Here is the final form of our suggested mailing. Let me know today, please, if you don't want it to go this way. --------- April 7, 1993 Electronic Mail Memorandum TO: Food Safety Rapid Response Contacts Communication Heads IPM Coordinators PAT Coordinators FROM: Elizabeth L. Andress, NPL, Food Science and Chair, Food Safety & Quality Initiative Judith A. Bowers, Head, Public Affairs, CIT Mike Fitzner, NPL, Integrated Pest Management John Impson, NPL, Pesticide Applicator Training The Extension Toxicology Network (EXTOXNET) has developed the coordinated response, shown below, to the PBS "Frontline" program, "In Our Children's Food." Media coverage of the show has been fairly quiet from what we have heard, but we thought this would be a good reference for Extension staff in your state. EXTOXNET is The Extension Toxicology Network, a Consortium of Extension Toxicology Programs at: The University of California, Davis Cornell University Michigan State University North Carolina State University Oregon State University The authors of this response are indicated at the end. If you have any experiences or followup programming related to this television show that you would like to share, please let us know. Thank you. - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESPONSE FOLLOWS - - - - - - - - - - - "In Our Children's Food" The Frontline Program "In Our Children's Food" aired last evening on PBS stations across the United States presented no new information and did not present a balanced look at the complex issues of pesticide use, and chemical residues in foods. During the program, four complex issues, 1) pesticide use and crop protection, 2) pesticide residues on foods, 3) chronic health effects and 4) regulatory/legislative paralysis were interwoven into a single, simple issue; children's food. Unfortunately, science was the first casualty of this simplified approach, and the scientific issues (indeed the scientific method) were not covered. Testimonials, however compelling and well presented represent just one view. The first issue, pesticide use and crop protection lies outside the subject area of toxicology and is best addressed by pest management experts. The second and third issues, residues and chronic health effects, are toxicological issues. Two things that were not included and which are of particular relevance are a) the dose-response relationship (a fundamental principle of toxicology), and b) the results of the FDA Total Diet Study. Consideration of the principle of dose-response forces examination of the concentrations of chemical residues in foods, not their mere presence or absence. The data from the Total Diet Study provides the concentration data for foods after they are prepared for consumption, and is the most relevant data available. These data show that ingestion of pesticide residues in foods falls far below (usually less than 10%) established safe levels (the World Health Organization Acceptable Daily Intake [ADI] and the EPA's Reference Dose) which are considered to have no adverse effect even if ingested every day. The last issue, regulatory/legislative paralysis, appears to be the major thrust of "In Our Children's Food". This is not a toxicological issue, and is not driven by toxicology or health concerns. The "glacial speed" of re-registration is similar to the speed at which new pesticides are approved for use. EPA is criticized by manufacturers for the slow rate of approval reviews, and criticized by consumer groups for the slow rate of cancellation reviews. Very few people will argue that the process is not slow, costly and cumbersome, however it is doubtful that a program like "In Our Children's Food" will straighten out the bureaucratic regulatory maze. Indeed, by simplifying the complexities of all of the issues presented above, "In Our Children's Food" may have done a disservice to the public by polarizing groups and attitudes. At the end of the program, Bill Moyers asked what we should do; stop eating fruits and vegetables? He then stated that cure may be worse than the disease. Likewise the means of presenting the issues of "In Our Children's Food" may cause more damage to the cause of pesticide regulation reform than good. For further information about the science behind these issues, please contact one of the EXTOXNET centers by Email, phone or FAX. Environmental Toxicology Extension University of California Davis, CA 95616 (916) 752-2936 FAX (916) 752-0903 email: alcraigmill@ucdavis.edu or Foodsafe Program University of California Davis, CA 95616 (916) 752-5448 FAX 916-752-3975 email: ckwinter@ucdavis.edu Institute for Environmental Txocology Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 (517) 353-6469 FAX (517) 355-4603 email: kamrin@msu.edu Agricultural Chemistry Oregon State University Ag & Life Sciences 1007 Corvallis, OR 97331-7301 (503)737-1811 or 5993 FAX (503)737-5001 email: millert@oes.orst.edu email: jenkinsj@oes.orst.edu - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - END - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------- ELIZABETH L. ANDRESS NPL Food Science/Food Safety Phone: 720-6962 Fax: 690-2469 eandress@esusda.gov -----------------------------John W. Impson National Program Leader-PAT jimpson@esusda.gov %%% overflow headers %%% To: gbalch@acenet.auburn.edu, afwgv@acad2.alaska.edu, pbaker@ccit.arizona.edu, extdir@uafsysa.uark.edu, pmarer@ucipm.ucdavis.edu, bbohmont@shep.agsci.colostate.edu, swhitney@brahms.udel.edu, onn@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu, kshaffer@es-cit.esusda.gov, e-ent-at@uga.cc.uga.edu, extserv@cup.portal.com, ta_agbiochi1@avax.ctahr.hawaii.edu, pses@idui1.edu, ferree@kbml.plant.uluc.edu, Alice_Lovellette@mailcenter.btny, a2.def@isumvs.BITNET, dcress@hydra.hydra.ksu.edu, ltownsen@ca.uky.edu, xtgrod@lsuvm.sncc.lsu.edu, jdill@umce.umext.maine.edu, ab35@umail.umd.edu, jjenkins@coopext.umass.edu, diragmkt@msuces.canr.msu.edu, deh@extend.mes.umn.edu, sbr1@msstate.BITNET, ueywl@trex.oscs.montana.edu, evpr003@unlvm.unl.edu, clydes@unssun.scs.unr.edu, crops@nmsu.edu, p462@nysaes.cornell.edu, ea14@nysaes.cornell.edu, e297@nysaes.cornell.edu, pesticid@ndsuext.nodak.edu, waldron.1@osu.edu, entojtc@osucc.BITNET, Millert@oes.orst.edu, pesticide@psupena.psu.edu, gwz101@uriacc.uri.edu, bbllngr@prism.clemson.edu, ag03@sdsumus.BITNET, toxics@cc.usu.edu, Agchem2@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu, Essex.co@uvmax.uvm.com, doersch@wisplan.uwex.wisc.edu, flashinski@wisplan.uwex.wics.edu %%% end overflow headers %%% ------------------------------------------ -- Terry Miller millert@oes.orst.edu -- ------- Pesticide Coordinator -------- ----------- Extension Service ------------ -------- Oregon State University --------- ------------------------------------------