Day 016 - 22 Jul 94 - Page 33

     
     1        regulatory authorities always accept the recommendation of
              the Committee on Toxicology.  They would never allow a
     2        regulation that had not been approved by them.
 
     3   Q.   Who arranges and sets up the tests for these additives
              then?
     4        A.  Well, again Professor Walker is much more
              knowledgeable on this, but evidence has to be produced, in
     5        some cases by the manufacturers; if they are trying to get
              a new additive approved it may be by a government research
     6        establishment.  I mean, basically, the committee will
              consider any evidence which is relevant to that.  It will
     7        then either decide it has enough, make a decision or will
              say : "OK, we will put it on hold and we need more
     8        information".  Of course the additives will also be
              subject to review in the light of any subsequent
     9        information that will come forward.
 
    10   Q.   Talking about the necessity of additives?
              A.  Which page?
    11
         Q.   It is on page 35.
    12        A.  That is my numbering?
 
    13   Q.   Sorry, 58.  Under this heading you have a section about
              "colours"?
    14        A.  That is right, yes.  That is the one that there tends
              to be most argument about.
    15
         Q.   Where you are talking about the colour imparted to the
    16        final food by those ingredients, it would be weaker than
              the colour the consumer would associate with a food of
    17        that type; why would it be weaker?  Is that to do with the
              processing?
    18        A.  It could do, but I should also make clear that I am
              simply quoting from the 1979 report of the Food Advisory
    19        Committee on, I think it is Chemical Contaminants, it was
              FACC anyway.  This was the official view taken at that
    20        time.  So sometimes during processing there can be a loss
              of colour.
    21
         Q.   Right.
    22        A.  And so the reason for adding the colour is to bring
              them back to what they may have been.  There is an
    23        interesting example some years ago when a major
              retailer  -----
    24
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do not expand unless Ms. Steel wants you to.
    25
         MS. STEEL:  Then again on C we are talking about more 
    26        processing and then bleaching out by the use of 
              preservative? 
    27        A.  That is right.
 
    28   Q.   For example, with sulphur dioxide?
              A.  Yes.
    29
         Q.   Would you say part of the problem is that a lot of the
    30        time we are eating highly processed foods?
              A.  I do not really accept that is a problem.