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Latest News Page BriefsKao, Health Ministry and Consumer groups exchanged heated discussion over principal ingredient of cooking oil "Econa" (Enova)
By JCPRESS
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However, consumer groups has not consented to answers of Kao and Health Ministry
A Japan consumer group "SHUFUREN" invited each person in charge of Kao, Food Safety Commission, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare with other consumer groups in Tokyo on October 5 and opened "Study meeting" over principal ingredient "Diacylglycerol" of Kao cooking oil "Econa" in which the researcher of National Cancer Institute had suggested the doubt of the carcinogenesis promotion effect.
Consumer groups requested, "Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare should withdraw the license of the Food for Specified Health Uses until safety was affirmed. Kao should also stop selling temporarily" valuing the execution of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of the incremental test concerning a carcinogenic promotion of the diacylglycerol.
However, general manager Takuji Yasukawa, the first person from the right of photograph, of the Kao health care division stressed, "Safety is affirmed".
And, general manager Tomoko Kitajima, the second person in front of the photograph from the left, in the newly developed food health service emergency headquarters of the Ministry that put out the license to Econa as a Food for Specified Health Uses repeated , saying that "At present, there was no data that became a problem by a usual intake" and "Therefore, there is no scientific basis to cancel the license of the Food for Specified Health Uses now".
The clarification of the Kao and the Ministry conflicts with the insistence of the consumer group in the forehead.
Consumer's doubt and anxiety to safety continue for a while if neither cancellation of the license nor sales are stopped temporarily. It is because it takes years of several years until Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare finishes the incremental test to affirm the carcinogenesis promotion effect of the diacylglycerol, and this ministry announces the risk evaluation.
The manufacturer and administration persist in keeping things as they are until the consequence of the incremental test becomes clear though consumer groups stress, "A doubtful material should not be used by introducing the precautionary principle". There is a big gap of knowledge there.
How do Kao and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare achieve confidence concerning "Safety and safety"?
The reliability of the Food for Specified Health Uses system that admits the highlight of food with the maintenance enhancement effect of health shakes.
Japan Consumer Press Oct 15, 2005 No.719 , online published : Oct 26, 2005
On the Web:
Kao comment and view
Safety of gDiacylglycerolh the Main Ingredient of Econa Products
http://www.kao.co.jp/en/news/2005/r20051014-01re.html
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