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Article: Proposed "precautionary principle" poses potent problems.
- Article from:
- Food & Drug Packaging
- Article date:
- June 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 BNP Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In our 40th anniversary issue (Nov. 1999), we discussed the use of "junk science" by those who would like to slow, if not completely stop, the progress being made in the world of biotechnology and applied chemistry. In trying to skew public debate through the use of scare tactics and false appeals to emotion, these people continually rely upon a "philosophical" concept known as "the precautionary principle ."
The precautionary principle is difficult to define because no one, including its many adherents, has ever done so.
It's proponents will say that the principle just means that it's better to be safe than sorry--but that's an understatement. The ...