Beef frankfurters, talcum powder and toothpaste are among the thousands of cosmetic, food and household products that could be endangering consumers' health, authors of a new buyer's guide said Thursday.
But representatives of government and the various industries involved insisted that the products named in "The Safe Shopper's Bible" are safe and sharply criticized the work of authors Dr. Samuel Epstein and David Steinman.Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, said consumers do not know the products may be harmful because manufacturers do not list on the labels which ingredients may be cancer-causing or toxic.
"We label for cholesterol, but not for carcinogens," he said.
Epstein was teaming with consumer activist Ralph Nader at a news conference Thursday to urge industry to begin giving the information to shoppers. They also released their list of the 12 worst products.
But Betsy Adams, spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, said consumers should not worry about any of the substances the book's authors say are in products regulated by the agency.
"We believe that all of these products are generally safe under conditions of normal use," Adams said.
Jeff Nedelman, spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the makers of 11 products on Epstein's list, dismissed the findings as "book tour publicity."
Epstein said research for the book was based on reports filed with various government agencies, including the departments of Labor and Agriculture, and reviews of industry, consumer and toxicological reports.
The book discusses various categories of cosmetic, food and household products and identifies potential hazards. It also includes tips for using products safely and lists suggested alternatives.
Crest Tartar Control Toothpaste is on Epstein's list for containing saccharin, the sugar substitute known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Other major toothpaste brands also contain saccharin.
Crest's maker, Procter & Gamble Inc. said the FDA has "carefully reviewed" Crest and has judged it to be safe. "We're not aware of any scientific evidence which associates normal use of Tartar Control Crest with any ill health effects, including cancer," said spokesman Jim Schwartz.
Epstein said beef hot dogs contain numerous toxic substances that can interact with the preservative nitrite to form cancer-causing compounds that could affect young children who eat them regularly.
Epstein said evidence also suggested that women who regularly dust themselves with talcum powder have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer and that the product should be labeled accordingly. He suggested cornstarch powder as a safer alternative.
"What is particularly galling about the `Dirty Dozen' is that these toxic chemicals don't have to be there," Nader said. "Yet these corporations continue to expose people to health hazards unnecessarily."
But Johnson & Johnson Inc. said a workshop co-sponsored by the FDA that reviewed a number of studies last year found no evidence supporting Epstein's claim.