Drug Development Research 13:89 (1988)

Book Review

Safety and Quality in Food Proceedings of a DSA Symposium “Wholesome Food for All. Views of the Animal Health Industries” held in Brussels, 29-30 March 1984. Edited by DSA (Bu- reau Europeen d’lnformation pour le Developpement de la Sante Animale), Avenue de I’Yser 19, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium. ISBN 0-444-42409-1 (Vol. 17); 0-444-41 703-6 (series).

This publication is a current assessment of the dilemmas confronting society in the production of a safe animal food source at an economic price. It is a concise text of 258 pages containing translations in English, French, and German of the proccedings of a DSA (Development of a Safe Animal) symposium entitled “Wholesome Food for All. Views of the Animal Health Industries” held in Brussels, Belgium, March 29-30, 1984.

The first section is devoted to discussion of the development of a common policy that incorporates a philosophy of health in food ror Europe. It incorporates the progression of industrialization and efficiency in production of animals while expressing concern for maintaining the quality of food with a balanced nutritional support for the consumer. The concern is focused on the use of chemicals for the control of disease and stimulation of growth for maximizing production in animals while not poisoning the ultimate consumer with toxic substances.

Section 2 is concerned totally with the definition of safety and how the public can be assured that the final product contains no substances that could be harmful to man. These are eloquent presentations utilizing state-of-the-art analytical techniques combined with good toxicology to demonstrate the safe use of chemicals in food production. The principles of safety margin and appropriate extrapolation of animal data to man are deftly presented, considering the topics of embryotoxicity, teratogenicity, allergy, mutagenesis, and carcino- genesis. This section concludes with guidelines for sakiy for a ncw veterinary product.

The last section is concerned with the mundane practicality of the limits of legislative mandates to ensure high benefit-to-risk ratios for drugs and food additives used in animal foods prior to their consumption by man. The practical focus is on the development of a NO Ejfect Level (NOEL) of chemicals in a final product, assuring safety to man in his food.

Although this book is a synopsis of an entire symposium, it reflects the cooperative efforts of science and government to protect mankind from itself. It is an excellent denionstration of applied toxicology directed toward a practical solution heretofore unre- solved. It should be a recommended text for faculty and graduate students involved with toxicology. The scientific sections provide fertile grounds for discussion of the “kreuzweg” between theoretical and practical toxicology.

0 1988 Alan R. Liss. Inc.

Gary H. Wimbish, Ph.D., DABFT Associate Professor of Pathology Director, Institute of Forensic Medicine Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Fort Worth, TX 76107