MARCH 1974 NSUMER. "mbatting ug "use e Government's mandate under the mprehensive Drug Abuse Preven , and Control Act of 1970 is to re se the frightening and expanding LEAM/EMT- trend of recent years in the indiscrim inate, excessive, or illicit use of chem ical substances that alter the mind, behavior, or health of the abuser. It is a phenomenon that has touched all parts of our society. .. C Co28 8 Z Z & Co4-coo a |||||| FLDOO3OOO90 This Month an your kitchen pass the food storage test? We’ll ( bet most kitchens can’t. This month, FDA CON SUMER takes a tour through a kitchen to point out the main food storage problems. We hope you’ll use the information in the article to go over your own kitchen and correct the deficiencies you find. This month, FDA CONSUMER continues its effort to inform the public about vitamins. “Myths of Vitamins” describes some of the false or inaccurate qualities some people have claimed for vitamins, and what the scien tific evidence actually shows. In a few months, we’ll present “A Primer on Vitamins,” which will look at the same subject from another viewpoint. “Combatting Drug Abuse” describes FDA's con tribution to the Federal Government's fight against the abuse of legitimate and illicit drugs. FDA is not the en forcement arm of the Federal Government in this im portant area, but its recommendations to the Drug En forcement Administration and its other activities are important elements in the Government's program. The word “recall” has become familiar to every con sumer in the past decade. But many misconceptions exist about them and FDA's role in food and drug re calls. “How Defective Products Are Recalled” tells you exactly what recalls are, when and why they’re made, who makes them, the three kinds of recalls, and how the recall tool fits into overall consumer protection. FDA Consumer-March 1974 / 1 t might be well for me to summarize the s consumerism has become a new and “I general philosophy with which I approach “A powerful force in the marketplace, my job as Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Government agencies have constructively re “First of all, I intend to be guided by the basic sponded to rightful demands by the new consumer premise that FDA is a scientific regulatory agency movement, and have often anticipated what some with a single responsibility—consumer health and of these demands and requirements might be. safety. We are a regulatory agency by law, a scien “The larger function of Government, however, tific agency by necessity, and a consumer protec should be to do more than react. It should be to tion agency by design. better understand the context within which the “I am convinced that for the FDA to serve the smaller situation has developed, and then to deal consumer most effectively, we must continue to with that larger context. This is especially true of broaden the base of expertise and advice upon the regulatory agencies, among them, the Food which our regulatory programs are erected. This and Drug Administration. expertise and this advice must be brought to bear “The FDA was once little more than an inspec across the boundaries of bureaucracy and across tion agency with certain police powers which it the barriers which separate the public and the exercised with varying effectiveness. It is now a private sectors. scientific, regulatory agency that draws on expert “As you may have heard, one way we are assur talent from throughout the country to assure the ing the close working of the private and public safety of the Nation's food and drug supplies. It worlds is to utilize more advisory committees, has had new authorities given it by the Congress seeking their advice more often and earlier than which have greatly increased its responsibilities heretofore. We will also seek out and use scien and the requirements made of it. tific expertise, adding it to our own in order to “The FDA also operated in earlier times behind build the best scientific base we can for our actions. a screen that kept the public removed from the time, “At the same the consumer must be heard. Agency, whereas today it is open not only to pub He must know why and how and if we in the FDA lic scrutiny but also to public participation in its are acting in his best interest. And if he is to know, decision-making. Most of these changes have oc the consumer must have the same opportunity as curred within the past 5 years. industry to participate in regulatory decision “In the course of making these changes, many making. As you know, we are moving in a number bureaucratic traditions have been discarded. Such of specific ways to ensure consumer access to our traditions tend to accumulate in a bureaucracy, process of decision-making as well as our decision even as the outside world may be changing. makers.” Bureaucracies, of course, exist in Government, in dustry, and elsewhere, and all must, from time to Alexander M. Schmidt, M.D., Commissioner of Food and time, undergo fundamental revision. This the Drugs, group before the food of the American Frozen Food and Drug Administration has recently ac Food Institute, Washington, D.C., January 9, 1974. complished, again in a process accelerated by the new consumerism. And the FDA which has emerged is appropriate to the times, even as the earlier style of the Agency may have been what those times required.” Sherwin Gardner, deputy commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, before the New York State Bar As sociation annual meeting, New York City, January 23, 1974. 2 / March 1974 / FDA Consumer (FDA Caspar W. Weinberger Secretary, U.S. Department of ONSUMER. Health, Education, and Welfare VOL. 8, NO. 2-MARCH 1974 Charles C. Edwards, M.D. Asst. Secretary for Health Alexander M. Schmidt, M.D. Commissioner of Food and Drugs John T. Walden Acting Asst. Commissioner for Public Affairs Wayne L. Pines-Editor Harold C. Hopkins-Editorial Director Jesse R. Nichols-Art Director Joan M. Galloway-Managing Editor Myths of Vitamins 4 Frederick L. Townshend-Production Mgr. FDA CONSUMER, the official magazine of the Combatting Drug Abuse 10 Food and Drug Administration, is published monthly, except for combined July-August and December-January issues. Subscriptions may be ordered from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. How Defective Products Are Recalled 15 20402, at $5.30 a year ($1.35 additional for foreign mailing). Address for editorial matters: FDA CONSUMER, HFI-20, Food and Drug Admin istration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md. Pass the Storage 20 20852. Can Your Kitchen Food Test? Articles published in FDA CONSUMER are in the public domain and text may be repub lished without permission. Use of funds for printing publication approved by this the News Highlights 26 Office of Management and Budget November 1, 1972. FDA CONSUMER was previously known as FDA PAPERS. Regional Reports 28 Section 705 [375] of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: (a) The Secretary shall cause to be published from time to time reports summarizing all State Actions 32 judgments, decrees, and court orders which have been rendered under this Act, including the nature of charge and the disposition thereof. (b) The Secretary may also cause to be regarding food, drugs, disseminated information Seizures and Postal Service Cases 33 devices, or cosmetics in situations involving, in the opinion of the Secretary, imminent danger to health, or gross deception of the consumer. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the Secretary from collecting, reporting, and illustrating the results of the Notices of Judgment 36 investigations of the Department. FDA Consumer-March 1974 / 3 Myths Of Vitami In today's health-conscious “Consumers should know that society, many Americans hold elaborate testimonials and myths about the proper role miraculous claims result of vitamins. While vitamins are from mere guesswork, essential for good health, confusion, and often excessive amounts are outright fraud.” unnecessary and can be harmful. by Jane Heenan nce a day, “just to be sure,” millions of Americans take a multivitamin pill. Then, when cold season comes around, some stock up on vitamin C. Others whose sex lives seem to be lagging may reach for vitamin E, with the added hope that it will stave off heart disease. And if all these vitamins don't prevent that “rundown feeling,” they might try a little—or a lot—of all the vitamins, with an added boost of vitamin B12. According to some of the latest “literature” appearing in books by nutrition “experts” and in magazine articles, this sort of therapy should do the trick. But as millions of Americans now know, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can even win a tennis match. And as a 4-year-old boy in Kansas will never forget, taking a whole bottle of 40 children’s vitamins at once won't help him grow stronger, faster. He spent the following 2 days in intensive care with vitamin A and iron poisoning. His experience was added to the statistics compiled by FDA's National Clearinghouse for Poison Control Centers which reveal that 4,000 cases of vitamin poisonings are reported each year, 4 / March 1974 / FDA Consumer with some 3,200 involving children. Sure,” takes a vitamin-mineral Other Americans, with rashes, supplement every day. “Some of the myths have been diarrhea, or headaches, may also This is the way we have come with us so long they’re difficult be unwary victims of the belief that to expect the marketing of dietary to distinguish from fact.” since vitamins are good for them, supplements.