For more on Paterson and his pals see http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/fsa.htm
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FSA official linked to cattle hormone debacle
From the Food Magazine Issue 52 January/March 2001 - Editorial Page
Dr. George Paterson, appointed last year as Chief Executive of the Scottish wing of the Food Standards Agency, has been named as one of the key actors in the suppression of informa- tion about the hazards of the milk-boosting hormone, bovine somatropin (BST).
FOOD MAGAZINE readers may remember the furious struggle in Canada over the licensing of Nutrilac, a genetically-engine- ered form of BST produced by Monsanto.
The controversial hormone has been banned in Europe, is permitted * for use in dairy herds in the USA, and had been 'under review' by the Canadian government for over nine years.
Several scientists involved in the Canadian review process had expressed concerns that the cattle hormone may be unsafe, and may lead to high levels of a compound, IGF-1, in milk for human consumption, raising the risk of breast cancer.
At one point some of these scientists had gone on television complaining that their worries were being ignored and their supervisors were pressing them to approve the hormone. As a result of going public, the scientists received written reprimands and were told not to make their dissent public.
The scientists took their case to court. Last September the judge found in their favour, saying that the scientists had a right to speak out over their concerns.
A 52-page judgement stated that it was unreasonable for the Canadian health ministry to reprimand the scientists when they were bringing up a legitimate health and safety concern. 'Such a concern' wrote the judge, 'outweighs civil servants' obligations to the department.'
The agency responsible for co-ordinating the human safety side of the drug approval process at the time was the Canadian government Food Directorate. And the Director General of the Food directorate was Dr. George Paterson - the man now in charge in Scotland.
Commenting on concerns expressed over the appointment of George Paterson, the Food Standards Agency said the inter- viewing panel that gave Dr. Paterson the job were 'greatly impressed' by his 'commitment to openness.'
FOOTNOTE: the FSA's chief executive, Geoffrey Podger, stated that Dr. Paterson was a man 'committed to consumer involvement in food safety and standards' and that his appointment 'has been fully demonstrated by his subsequent preformance in Scotland'.
Dr. Paterson's first job in Scotland was to issue a notice telling the people of Scotland about the new laws allowing irradiated food into their shops, and giving guidance to food companies on how to market their irradiated products.
His second job was to issue a press release telling Scottish consumers that GM rapeseed had illegally entered the food chain, but there was nothing to worry about.
Now his Agency is saying that farmed salmon is safe if eaten in small amounts.
Sorry, Dr. Paterson, but 'consumer involvement' means doing a lot better than this. ENDS
The Food Commision (UK) Ltd. 94 White Lion Street London N1 9PF Tel: 020 7837 2250 Fax: 020 7837 1141 email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. website: http//www.food.com.org.uk
* Monsanto has successfully prevented BST-free milk products from being labelled as such.