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23 Food Drug Cosm. L.J. 260 (1968)
A Reasoned Approach to Regulation Based on Toxicologic Considerations

handle is hein.journals/foodlj23 and id is 288 raw text is: A Reasoned Approach to Regulation Based on Toxicologic Considerations By JOHN P. FRAWLEY The Following Article Was Presented at the National Con- ference on Indirect Food Additives Held in Washington, D. C., Tuesday, February 13, 1968. r. Frawley Is Chief Toxi- cologist for Hercules, Incorporated, Wilmington, Delaware. A LMOST 2400 YEARS AGO, one of the greatest philosophers of our culture, Plato, advised the rulers of ancient Greece: Noth- ing is more unworthy of a wise man,, or ought to trouble him more, than to have allowed more time for trifling and useless things, than they deserved. I do not pretend to be a wise man, but I am troubled and the majority of the toxicology profession is troubled because we ;pend, so much time on trifling and useless things. In no other area of environ- mental health have we invested so much time and effort in unprofit- able research, as we have on indirect food additives. I think the very fact that this National Conference on Indirect Food Additives is being held constitutes a recognition by government that our priorities should be re-evaluated. I also think that this Con- ference has been called because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sincerely wishes our opinions and advice on how we can protect public health in a more efficient manner than with our current regulatory procedures on indirect additives. If my assumption is correct, we have the unprecedented opportunity to offer our sugges- tions and the responsibility to propose specific constructive mech- anisms to improve our system. I think it is imperative in any discussion of environmental health to put the specific subject in perspective. Our environment is com- posed completely of chemicals, most of which are of natural origin FOOD DRUG COSMETIC LAW JOURNAL-MAY, 1968 PAGE 260