Salt Lake Community College Student Newspapers | 1983-05-20 | Page 1 | Utah Consumers' Interests Protected by Passing of Saccharin Study and Labeling Amendments

Utah Consumers' Consumers Interests Protected by Passing of Saccharin Study and J iT A Labeling Amendments lents J WASHINGTON President D.C.-President Reagans Reagan's signing of the Saccharin Study and Labeling Amendments last week protects protect Utah consumer interests interests interests inte inte- rests in three ways according to to the bills bill's author Sen Orrin Hatch R R- Utah Consumers who want to use saccharin saccharin saccharin sac sac- charin can still buy it who want to avoid saccharin rin h have ve a label to warn then them when saccharin is used in a product H Hatch f h sat said Further if current or future studies prove saccharin unsafe the Food and Drug Administration FDA has the means to get it off the market to ensure a safe food supply Enactment of Hat Hatchs Hatch's hs h's bill prevents the FDA from using results from pre- pre 1978 tests to ban th the sale of products containing saccharin for two more yea years s keeping the artificial sweetener available to people who want a no- no calorie or low-calorie low Results Results Results Re Re- from fromm current tests on saccharin jare are not yet available But the bill also U aJ alt th tp warning place place warning labels on products on-products containing con con- saccharin providing a consumer consumer consumer con con- sumer choice in the matter This new law Public Law 98 22 is the fourth law Congress has enacted to prevent a ban on saccharin Similar r I 4 laws were passed in 1977 1980 and 1981 Hatch has been chief sponsor of the law twice and was vas a cosponsor of the original law There is a lot of demand for an an- artificial sweetener Hatch said About 24 of every 1000 Americans suffer from some form of diabetes- diabetes there are over diabetics in Utah my home state More than U die of complications of diabetes dia dia- betes mellitus e each ch year Development ment of saccharin substitutes substitutes substitutes sub sub- continues but there is no other artificial sweetener approved for all uses nor is there likely to be one available in the next two years This bill now bill now law law keeps keeps an arti sweetener on the market shelves Hatch explained Our committee report stresses that we have not concluded th that t saccharin is safe is-safe safe nor nor have have we concluded that it itis itis is not safe We believe saccharin should be available to those who want to use i it unless al and until it is co col cony congiu con l us n y s. s w t. t y giu i I i ii I r rt i r at O Consumers should know n ha some scientific studies indicate saccharin may be carcinogenic The warning labels give cp consumers sumers the information they need to make an informed f choice Hatch said