Gov't urged to set plasticizer TDI standards

The China Post June 14, 2011 The Department of Health (DOH) announced yesterday that the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of plasticizers will be set in accordance with European Union standards. 　The announcement was made as experts urged the DOH to define also the TDI for various foods, starting with fatty foods and animal organs. The decision was taken at a DOH-organized meeting of experts on June 11, said director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Kang Chao-chau (康照洲). The meeting decided on the TDI for the five kinds of plasticizers prevalently used on a daily basis, Kang said He added that the public should self-monitor its plasticizer intake until the official announcement regarding TDI standards is made. Lin Chieh-liang (林杰樑), head of the Clinical Toxicology Division of the Linkou Branch Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, suggested that the government should define standard TDI values for all food products. He said that in this way, the public could easily monitor its daily plasticizer intake. Kang agreed but said that there is no quick solution, adding that such standards could only be defined after the national dietary habits and environmental background values have been examined. He used water and beverages as examples, saying that if the plasticizer environmental background value for such products was measured to be 1 part per million (ppm), when a sample of a product is found to contain 2 or 3 ppm of plasticizer, investigation should focus on figuring out and dealing with the process that caused the product to be contaminated by the extra ppm. Lin spoke of the difficulties the government could face setting plasticizers' TDI standard. He said contamination involves not only the pollution level of the environment but also handling of the product. 　He said that the suggested plasticizer TDI for a product could easily change once the product is placed in a plastic container or is microwaved. Lin suggested that the government start by announcing TDI reference values for various foods. Hong Kong has done similarly, Lin said, adding that certain ramen noodles had been taken off shelves when they were found to have 53 times more plasticizers than the TDI standard. The government should start setting the TDI with greasy foods, such as animal organs, a favorite among Taiwanese, Lin said, noting that plasticizers are lipid-soluble. Lee Ching-chang (李俊璋), a professor at the National Cheng Kung University Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Medical College, suggested that the government also publish a booklet that features tutorials regarding how to lower exposure to plasticizers, including avoiding microwaving plastic containers.