HC Deb 23 April 1993 vol 223 cc232-3W
Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to studies which have demonstrated a regression of tumours in rodents fed upon comfrey or comfrey extracts; and if she will make a statement;

(2) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to studies which have demonstrated either no adverse effects or a thriving effect upon the health of populations of rodents fed upon comfrey; and if she will make a statement;

(3) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to the review of the literature in this area undertaken by the British Medical Journal in 1978; and if she will make a statement.

Sir David Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research findings he has on the relative toxicity of comfrey tablets and capsules to that of saccharine tablets.

Mr. Sackvile

[holding answer 21 April 1993]: The Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment reviewed the available research data on the toxicity of saccharin in 1990 and recommended an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0–5 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day. It advised that provided intakes do not regularly exceed this ADI, saccharin is safe to use. In comparison, when the committee recently reported on its review of comfrey and preparations made from it, it advised that it was not possible to identify an ADI for comfrey nor for its pyrrolizidine alkaloid constituents, some of which research studies have shown to be potentially carcinogenic. The committee therefore recommended that concentrated forms of comfrey such as capsules and tablets should no longer be available.

Copies of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's analysis of comfrey products, the advice of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment and the Food Advisory Committee together with the draft information note are available in the Library. A list of key studies considered by the committee are included in its advice.