That was the warning sounded by the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) at a February meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS), a multinational group reporting to the United Nations and proposing such a scenario. AFFI argued the food industry's case that food products containing chemicals should not be subject to the classification and labeling requirements intended for bulk chemicals. Scientific risk analysis must continue to be the standard for labeling requirements and should not be compromised for international harmony. FDA and EPA have adopted a risk-based analysis standard for their regulation of foods. AFFI also is taking its message to U.S. government agencies involved in the discussions. An EPA official indicated her support for AFFI's position during the February meeting. Nevertheless, IFCS's recommendations are expected to be approved by a UN commission with jurisdiction in this area.
Conflicting standards
A proposed effort to develop an international labeling system for all chemicals and mixtures could result in mandatory relabeling of U.S. food products containing safe levels of pesticide residues or food additives.
Mar 31, 1997
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