Day 039 - 20 Oct 94 - Page 06

     
     1
     2        The findings were, therefore, deemed by the British
     3        Committee on Toxicity not to have been attributable to
     4        treatment with Sunset Yellow.  My response to that is
     5        simply that they seem a bit quick to the inference there
     6        that one cannot be confident of that.  A more appropriate
     7        response would have been to have asked for a repeat study,
     8        perhaps with intermediate lower doses in larger groups or a
     9        comparison with historical controls, because what might
    10        have been happening here is that a possible signal was lost
    11        against the random background noise.
    12
    13        I am not saying this is sufficient evidence that Sunset
    14        Yellow is a carcinogen.  What I am saying is there is some
    15        prima facie evidence that it might be an animal carcinogen
    16        which is worthy of further investigation and that further
    17        investigation has not taken place.
    18
    19        Under the next heading of hyperactivity, all I can say is
    20        that amongst the thousands of reports of hyperactive
         responses to food additives recorded, particularly by the
    22        Hyperactive Children Support Group, Sunset Yellow is a
    23        compound which has been repeatedly cited by the families.
    24        The frequency of those citations increased markedly in the
    25        late 80s as increasingly the food industry started to
    26        substitute Sunset Yellow for Tartrazine.
    27
    28        Prior to that time there were many reports that Tartrazine
    29        is capable of provoking such reactions in children.  It was
    30        because of that that manufacturers started to reduce their
    31        reliance on Tartrazine.  It was not uncommon in the mid to
    32        late 80s to see products, particularly soft drinks, bearing
    33        the legend "free of Tartrazine".  They would often contain
    34        Sunset Yellow.
    35
    36        I have nothing else to add under my fourth provisional
    37        heading in respect of Sunset Yellow.  I will happily go on
    38        to discuss Amaranth.
    39
    40   Q.   Do you want to comment on the reference of Mr. Justice Bell
         on study No. 8, reference No. 8?
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is the Michaelsson one.
    44        A.  A copy of which is ----.
    45
    46   Q.   It is document No. 8.
    47        A.  It is now missing from this file.
    48
    49   MS. STEEL:  That was one I gave you a copy of this morning.
    50 
    51   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can you put it in at 8 for us now? 
    52        A.  This was a copy given to me because I had not myself 
    53        had one.
    54
    55   MS. STEEL:  I gave it to him personally, but we can make another
    56        copy.
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Put it in the bundle, please, Dr. Millstone.
    59        You may be given another copy in due course.
    60        A.  I have no other comment.  I do not contest Mr. Justice