Subject:  (Reuss) Cancer (Trade) Wars (cont'd)... (fwd)
Date:     Wed, 5 May 1999 181045 -0500 (CDT)
From:     "Roy L. Beavers" <rbeavers@llion.org>
To:       emfguru <rbeavers@llion.org>
--------------------------------------------------


.......U.S. science again "sides" with U.S. trade interests....JUST
LIKE EMF!!!!!.......

Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
rbeavers@llion.org................
...It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness... 
.................PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROFITS...............

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 5 May 1999 23:31:25 +0200
From: Christoph Reuss 
To: rbeavers@llion.org
Subject: Cancer (Trade) Wars (cont'd)...

>Sunday May 2, 1999
>EU Scientists Say Beef Hormone Can Cause Cancer
>
>By Adrian Croft
>
>BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A new report by European Union scientists
>finds strong evidence that one of six hormones used in the beef
>industry could cause cancer, a conclusion which could drop a
>bombshell into a transatlantic trade dispute.
>
>The scientists said however there were not enough data to draw
>final conclusions about whether five other growth-promoting
>hormones used to raise cattle in North America were safe for
>human consumption.
>
>The report, a summary of which was obtained by Reuters Saturday,
>will stir controversy days before a key May 13 deadline in a
>World Trade Organization (WTO) case involving the EU's decade-old
>ban on imports of hormone-treated beef.
>
>The study, to be discussed by the EU's executive Commission next
>week, gives ammunition to those EU officials who, on consumer
>safety grounds, oppose a U.S. demand that the bloc's ban be
>lifted by May 13.
>
>The report by the EU's Scientific Committee on Veterinary
>Measures relating to Public Health "will break the Commission in
>two," one EU source predicted.
>
>The committee met amid great secrecy Thursday and Friday to
>complete a preliminary risk assessment of the hormones.
>
>"As concerns excess intake of hormone residues...a risk to the
>consumer has been identified with different levels of conclusive
>evidence for the six hormones in question," a summary of their
>report said.
>
>It said there was substantial recent evidence suggesting that one
>hormone, 17 beta oestradiol, "has to be considered as a complete
>carcinogen, as it exerts both tumor initiating and tumor
>promoting effects.
>
>"For the other five hormones...the current state of knowledge
>does not allow a quantitative estimate of the risk."
>
>However, it added that for all six hormones various health
>effects "could be envisaged," including developmental,
>immunological, neurobiological and carcinogenic effects.
>
>"Of the various susceptible risk groups, prepubertal children is
>the group of greatest concern," it said.
>
>The United States has threatened punitive duties on hundreds of
>millions of dollars of EU exports, including meat, motorcycles
>and chocolate, if the EU does not lift the ban.
>
>Canada is also threatening trade sanctions.
>
>The row worsened this week when the Commission threatened to ban
>all U.S. beef imports from June 15 after traces of hormones were
>found in supposedly hormone-free U.S. beef.
>
>A separate report by Commission officials and private experts
>looked into the possible risks of misuse of hormones in the
>cattle industry, for example if hormones were wrongly
>administered or cattle were given overdoses.
>
>The draft report said misuse of the hormones produced "a
>significant increase in risk."
>
>"Human exposure and risk are in particular increased by the fact
>that regulatory controls over residues of hormones in meat
>introduced into commerce are deficient in the USA and are
>insufficient in Canada," it said.
>
>The United States, which insists hormone-treated beef is safe,
>maintains that a WTO ruling last year means the EU must lift its
>ban on hormone-treated beef by May 13. The EU argues that the WTO
>ruling simply required it to produce new scientific studies on
>possible risks from eating the meat.
>
>The EU ordered 17 new scientific studies but they are not yet
>finished. The EU scientific committee considered interim findings
>of the studies in its preliminary risk assessment.
>
>EU and U.S. officials have been discussing labeling of U.S. beef
>as a possible temporary solution to the row but the new report
>could reinforce critics of this option.





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Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html