News
03/16/1989
<TITLE>Alar Use on Apples</TITLE>
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Alar Use on Apples

P89-12                                      Food and Drug Administration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       Chris Lecos - (202) 245-1144

    The following statement is being issued jointly by Frank E. Young, M.D.,
Ph.D., Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. John Moore,
Acting Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, and John Bode,
Assistant Secretary for Food and Consumer Services, U.S. Department of
Agriculture:
    In the last few weeks there has been a growing public controversy over
the potential harmful effects of a chemical called Alar, which is used by 
apple growers to retain the crispness of their fruit as it goes to market.
It is used primarily in the growing of Delicious, Staymen, and McIntosh 
apples. 
    The federal government believes that it is safe for Americans to eat
apples, and the responsible federal agencies are working together to
reassure the public of this fact. 
    Recently, the Natural Resources Defense Council has claimed that
children face a massive public health problem from pesticide residues in
food.  Data used by NRDC, which claims cancer risks from Alar are 100 times 
higher than the Environmental Protection Agency estimates, were rejected in 
1985 by an independent scientific advisory board created by Congress.  Alar 
has been used for decades in apple growing, and it has been the subject of
many studies on possible harmful side effects.
    A recent progress report on preliminary results from an ongoing study 
shows that a breakdown product of Alar caused certain kinds of tumors in
mice.  Based on this report, EPA has begun the process to phase out Alar in 
apple growing if the final data, which will be independently reviewed,
demonstrate a need for cancellation.  Cancellation could then occur by July 
1990. 
    EPA believes the potential risk from Alar is not of sufficient certainty
and magnitude to require immediate suspension of the use of this chemical.
EPA and others have pointed to lack of scientific validity in the suggestion
by the NRDC that the risk is much greater than has been stated by EPA.
    The Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human
Services, the agency responsible for monitoring pesticide residues in food, 
has found either no residues or residues that are far below EPA's 
tolerance.  Both FDA and EPA believe that Alar use over this interim period 
is safe and does not pose a health risk to the American public.  Available
data show overwhelmingly that apples carry very small amounts of Alar.  In
addition its use has decreased dramatically over the past several years;
estimates are that 95 percent of the apple crop was not treated in 1988.
    It should also be noted that risk estimates for Alar and other
pesticides based on animal testing are rough and are not precise predictions
of human disease.  Because of conservative assumptions used by EPA, actual
risks may be lower or even zero.
    The FDA, EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture believe there is not
an imminent hazard posed to children in the consumption of apples at this 
time, despite claims to the contrary. 
    Therefore, the federal government encourages school systems and others
responsible for the diets of children to continue to serve apples and other 
nutritious fruit to American children.
    This is an issue that will continue to be monitored closely by the
responsible federal agencies that have acted in the past to cancel pesticide
uses which pose a cancer risk.
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