Talk:Alar and apples

I moved this from a separate page that duplicated the topic. There may be some useful material here to merge into the existing article. --Bob Burton 23:33, 31 July 2007 (EDT)

About the 1989 Alar (Daminozide a Uniroyal product) ban, which remains in effect for food products[1], the EPA [stated at the time]:

''Uniroyal voluntarily halted the sales and distribution of daminozide food-use products in June and agreed to buy back all existing stocks including those held by users.... EPA proposed to cancel all food uses of daminozide in May based on evidence that UDMH[2] causes tumors in laboratory animals and that lifetime dietary exposure to this product may result in an unacceptable risk to public health. The Agency's proposed cancellation action on daminozide was based in part on a 12-month interim report of a two-year feeding study on mice using UDMH which showed that this chemical causes tumors.... Daminozide is a plant-growth regulator and has been registered since 1963. In addition to apples (on which it was primarily used) and ornamentals, it was also registered for use on cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, Concord grapes, tomato transplants and peanut vines. On fruit trees, daminozide affected flow-bud initiation, fruit-set maturity, fruit firmness and coloring, preharvest drop and market quality of fruit at harvest and during storage.''

These results were later called into question however there remains a legitimate cause for concern. For a history of the issue including the National Resourses Defense Council role and opposition thereto see [here] [here] and [here] for more.

Though normal exposure is thought to pose low risk "EPA has classified UDMH as a Group B2, 'probable human carcinogen.'" however "There are no longer any registered food or feed uses of daminozide, and all tolerances have been revoked. Dietary exposure therefore is not anticipated." see [EPA R.E.D. Facts]. Daminozide is also listed on California's Proposition 65 required [CHEMICALS KNOWN TO THE STATE TO CAUSE CANCER OR REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY] list. See also [here] and [here] for more.

(1)Daminozide is still registered for use on ornamental plants in greenhouses.

(2)UDMH ("unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine") is what Alar breaks down to in use. - The following is found at [ActivistCash], an industry-funded website about the NRDC and Alar.

"Following the release of a report called Intolerable Risk -- which claimed that Alar was 'the most potent cancer-causing agent in our food supply' and blamed the chemical for 'as many as 5,300' childhood cancer cases -- Fenton and NRDC went on a five-month media blitz. The campaign kicked off with a CBS 60 Minutes feature seen by over 50 million Americans. Despite the fact that the claims were completely unfounded, hysteria set in. Apples were pulled off of grocery shelves, schools stopped serving them at lunch, and apple growers nationwide lost over $250 million."

"Currently, NRDC is focusing a great deal of its vast resources fighting against genetically improved foods."