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Society of Regulatory |
PANEL 2: FOOD AS A MAJOR ROUTE OF DIOXIN EXPOSURE Moderator: Herbert Estreicher, Esq. We heard in Panel 1 that, notwithstanding EPA's assertions, TCDD is not a known-human carcinogen and that the other dioxin congeners and dioxin-like compounds are not likely carcinogens. I think we heard the same thing pretty much as a consensus at the peer review meeting in July. I suspect that we will hear the same thing at the SAB meeting in early November. Despite the clear scientific consensus on the issue of cancer characterization as well as cancer risk, I also think that EPA will pretty much finalize its reassessment as it has drafted it and I think that is going to happen. Now, Terry Quill talked about the concerns that the chemical industry has about EPA's view of dioxins. He talked about increased regulation, he talked about litigation and he talked about problems of that nature. There is another industry that is very concerned about EPA's views on dioxins and that is the food industry. EPA's theory, as you know, with respect to dioxin exposure is that there is dioxin that gets into the atmosphere from active sources. It is then deposited on plants, eaten by animals and then consumed by humans. So, EPA has put together a nexus between industrial processes, largely combustion processes, and consumption of food that contains dioxins and direct human dietary exposure. Panel 2 is comprised of four leading experts on the issue of dietary risk and the safety of the food supply. |