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...decision by the House of Representatives last Monday to impose an 18-month delay on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) ban on saccharin stemmed largely from constituent pressure, Dr. J. Winston, acting director of the Office of Health Policy Information, said yesterday...
...FDA was probably right to prohibit the use of saccharin as a food additive, Winston said, but added that he does not oppose the House action...
...FDA directive banning saccharin came after Canadian studies showed that saccharin induced tumors in rats. Under the "Delaney Clause," an amendment to federal food and drug legislation, the FDA must declare unsafe any substance found to cause tumors when ingested by animals...
...course, public policy decisions are often made on the basis of information which is suggestive rather than conclusive. The FDA's proposed ban on saccharin is a case in point. The FDA acted in response to a Canadian study which demonstrated that male rats exposed to saccharin in utero and throughout their lives exhibited a 24 per cent increase in bladder tumors in comparison to controls. A smaller increase was observed in male rats exposed only following birth...
Moreover, since saccharin is contained not only in diet drinks but also in large numbers of foods and toothpastes, it is difficult for the individual to avoid ingestion of this additive without governmental intervention. The FDA's action on saccharin is therefore well advised as prudent preventive medicine. Its further decision to permit the sweetener to be sold as a nonprescription drug recognizes the fact that there may well be people for whom the benefits of taking the sweetener exceed its possible risks...