My understanding (correct me if I am wrong) was that the Delaney Amendment
has not been thrown out but has been superceded by new federal
legislation. The new reguatory laws require manufacturers to determine
the effects of *combinations* of chemicals (food additives, solvents,
etc...). Originally, each chemical was considered on an individual
basis. This did not, however, indicate what chemicals would do in
combination (i.e. could synergy occur). The new legislation actually
makes the FDA and EPA approval processes much more rigorous, so much so
that currently many registration applications are "backed up" since
federal regulatory agencies affected by the new federal guidelines have
not yet formulated plans for implementation of the new laws. These
changes in regulatory guidelines should actually make our lives relatively
more risk-free at least with respect to human-made chemicals.
--
Michael Kirby
mkirby at vt.edu