Olestra vs. Bovine Hormone
To The Living Section:
There is a potentially harmful inconsistency in the Food and Drug Administration rulings on new food products. Procter & Gamble's new product olestra has been approved by the F.D.A. for use in certain snack foods, including potato chips, crackers and tortilla chips. But the products that use olestra will have to carry a warning about possible harmful gastrointestinal and nutritional side effects.
Yet, when Monsanto's recombinant bovine growth hormone was approved by the F.D.A. to increase milk production in cows, no such product warning was required despite evidence that the hormone could affect the milk produced.
One would think that even the possibility of health hazards to infants and young children would be of paramount concern.
IAN ALTERMAN New York