THE 37 YEAR HISTORY OF THE DELANEY-CLAUSE

The Delaney Clause has been part of the US Food, Drug and Cosmetic law s since it was enacted by the Congress in 1958. It states that no canc er-causing agent, as demonstrated in humans or animals, shall be delib erately added to, or found as a contaminant in food. The FDA was charg ed with enforcing this Clause. Other agencies such as EPA used similar approaches with the avowed aim to prevent cancer. Legal cases have be en brought against Agencies who failed to comply with this law to the letter. Since 1958, research has elucidated the main mechanisms whereb y chemicals cause cancer. The leading causative factors of the major h uman cancers are basically known, and include smoking and tobacco use, excessive alcohol, and common dietary practices and nutritional tradi tions. The etiology of lymphomas, leukemias and cervical cancer may be viruses. The Delaney Clause was designed to protect against these man y cancer types. It was based on the hypothesis held in the 1950s that human cancers are due to environmental chemicals. This is clearly not true for the great majority of cancers and therefore, the Delaney Clau se as framed has not saved any lives, is obsolete, and should be elimi nated.