Ben & Jerry's - 200 times the safe level of cancer-causing dioxins

Before you go out for ice cream read this!

According to a study published on Junkscience.com unsafe levels of
dioxin were measured in a sample of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Ben &
Jerry's don't deny the allegations, in fact according to their own
promotional literature "Dioxin is known to cause cancer, genetic and
reproductive defects and learning disabilities... The only safe level
of dioxin exposure is no exposure at all."

Dioxin is a by-product of industrial processes such as bleaching with
chlorine bleach to whiten products including food containers. Dioxin
can also be created naturally through combustion of plant materials.
The authors of the study report that according to Ben & Jerry's and U.
S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, the level of dioxin
measured could cause about 200 "extra" cancers among lifetime consumers
of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

For women, this news could have a profound impact on their reproductive
health since dioxin exposure is linked to cancer and is considered a
possible cause of endometriosis--a painful condition that can result in
fertility problems and/or hysterectomy, as well as chronic pelvic pain
and other conditions.

Michael Gough, lead author, said "The level of dioxin in a serving of
the Ben & Jerry's World's Best Vanilla Ice Cream tested was almost 200
times greater than the 'virtually safe (daily) dose' determined by the
EPA. Mr. Gough is a former government scientist who chaired the U. S.
Department of Health and Human Services advisory panel on the effects
of dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange on U. S. Air Force personnel in
Vietnam.

Gough continued "An independent laboratory measured 0.79 +/- 0.38 parts
per trillion of dioxin in the sample of ice cream. Our result has
measurement error associated with it and the sample may not be
representative of all Ben & Jerry's ice cream, but our result is
consistent with current scientific literature."

Gough and Steven Milloy, editor of Junkscience.com, noted that they
believe existing scientific evidence does not credibly link low levels
of dioxin exposure with human health effects. "But not everyone
agrees," said Milloy. "Ben & Jerry's and Greenpeace, the company's
source for information about dioxin, have concluded that dioxin is not
safe at any level."

Milloy suggested that if dioxin is so dangerous, perhaps Ben & Jerry's
should remove its ice cream from the market until it is 'safe,'
consistent with the company's promotional literature." In response, Ben
& Jerry's said "While Ben & Jerry's may not directly control these
dioxin emissions, we do know that a reduced reliance on chlorine as a
bleaching agent will lead to a reduction in dioxin releases from paper
mills in our waterways." Steps to convert its pint packaging to
unbleached paperboard are currently underway.

Toto wrote:

> Before you go out for ice cream read this!
>
> According to a study published on Junkscience.com unsafe levels of
> dioxin were measured in a sample of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Ben &
> Jerry's don't deny the allegations, in fact according to their own
> promotional literature "Dioxin is known to cause cancer, genetic and
> reproductive defects and learning disabilities... The only safe level
> of dioxin exposure is no exposure at all."
>
> Dioxin is a by-product of industrial processes such as bleaching with
> chlorine bleach to whiten products including food containers. Dioxin
> can also be created naturally through combustion of plant materials.
> The authors of the study report that according to Ben & Jerry's and U.
> S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, the level of dioxin
> measured could cause about 200 "extra" cancers among lifetime consumers
> of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
>
> For women, this news could have a profound impact on their reproductive
> health since dioxin exposure is linked to cancer and is considered a
> possible cause of endometriosis--a painful condition that can result in
> fertility problems and/or hysterectomy, as well as chronic pelvic pain
> and other conditions.
>
> Michael Gough, lead author, said "The level of dioxin in a serving of
> the Ben & Jerry's World's Best Vanilla Ice Cream tested was almost 200
> times greater than the 'virtually safe (daily) dose' determined by the
> EPA. Mr. Gough is a former government scientist who chaired the U. S.
> Department of Health and Human Services advisory panel on the effects
> of dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange on U. S. Air Force personnel in
> Vietnam.
>
> Gough continued "An independent laboratory measured 0.79 +/- 0.38 parts
> per trillion of dioxin in the sample of ice cream. Our result has
> measurement error associated with it and the sample may not be
> representative of all Ben & Jerry's ice cream, but our result is
> consistent with current scientific literature."
>
> Gough and Steven Milloy, editor of Junkscience.com, noted that they
> believe existing scientific evidence does not credibly link low levels
> of dioxin exposure with human health effects. "But not everyone
> agrees," said Milloy. "Ben & Jerry's and Greenpeace, the company's
> source for information about dioxin, have concluded that dioxin is not
> safe at any level."

The dioxin panic started when a chemical plant in Seveso, Italy, blew
up. Pictures of dead and bloated sheep from the vicinity of the plant
were printed in newspapers worldwide. What they didn't mention however,
is that these sheep didn't die from dioxin exposure. The authorities
moved the sheep from right next to the plant to another pasture. What
they didn't know (but the sheepherder did, that's why he put is sheep
elsewhere) is that that piece land was full of a herb, poisonous to
sheep. So the sheep happily ate all they could and then keeled over and
died. From the herb, not from any dioxin. While I don't think dioxin is
particularly good for humans, this reaction to dioxin is overblown.
These things always make me think of that Joe Jackson song - 'Everything
gives you cancer'.

> Milloy suggested that if dioxin is so dangerous, perhaps Ben & Jerry's
> should remove its ice cream from the market until it is 'safe,'
> consistent with the company's promotional literature." In response, Ben
> & Jerry's said "While Ben & Jerry's may not directly control these
> dioxin emissions, we do know that a reduced reliance on chlorine as a
> bleaching agent will lead to a reduction in dioxin releases from paper
> mills in our waterways." Steps to convert its pint packaging to
> unbleached paperboard are currently underway.
>

Toto wrote:
> Before you go out for ice cream read this!
>
> According to a study published on Junkscience.com unsafe levels of

I could swear that I just read a book that suggested that
junkscience.com is a right wing organization devoted to undermining
proper regulatory policy wrt the environment. I would have to go back
to find the specific mention, but I am pretty sure the site was pretty
thoroughly discredited. What's interesting is that they are going after
B&J. Granted, B&J was founded by a couple of pro-environment liberal
leaning guys. And that's how it looks to the casual observer. But in
fact, B&J is now just another brand in the Unilever portfolio. So why
Junkscience.com is going after them, I have no idea.

-Hollywood

Hollywood wrote:
> Toto wrote:
> > Before you go out for ice cream read this!
> >
> > According to a study published on Junkscience.com unsafe levels of
>
> I could swear that I just read a book that suggested that
> junkscience.com is a right wing organization devoted to undermining
> proper regulatory policy wrt the environment. I would have to go back
> to find the specific mention, but I am pretty sure the site was pretty
> thoroughly discredited. What's interesting is that they are going after
> B&J. Granted, B&J was founded by a couple of pro-environment liberal
> leaning guys. And that's how it looks to the casual observer. But in
> fact, B&J is now just another brand in the Unilever portfolio. So why
> Junkscience.com is going after them, I have no idea.
>
> -Hollywood

You remembered correctly. The org is designed to make environmentalism
look ridiculous by being "over the top". The head honcho, Steve
Milloy, is a Fox News drone. That speaks volumes by itself. He used
to work for Phillip Morris (yes, the Big Tobacco Phillip Morris) as a
lobbyist in one of their PR firms. Back then the target in his
crosshairs was secondhand smoke. BTW, according to him, asbestos isn't
really very dangerous either, and Chernobyl wasn't so bad.

Carmen

Carmen wrote:
:: Hollywood wrote:
::: Toto wrote:
:::: Before you go out for ice cream read this!
::::
:::: According to a study published on Junkscience.com unsafe levels of
:::
::: I could swear that I just read a book that suggested that
::: junkscience.com is a right wing organization devoted to undermining
::: proper regulatory policy wrt the environment. I would have to go
::: back to find the specific mention, but I am pretty sure the site
::: was pretty thoroughly discredited. What's interesting is that they
::: are going after B&J. Granted, B&J was founded by a couple of
::: pro-environment liberal leaning guys. And that's how it looks to
::: the casual observer. But in fact, B&J is now just another brand in
::: the Unilever portfolio. So why Junkscience.com is going after them,
::: I have no idea.
:::
::: -Hollywood
::
:: You remembered correctly. The org is designed to make
:: environmentalism look ridiculous by being "over the top". The head
:: honcho, Steve Milloy, is a Fox News drone. That speaks volumes by
:: itself. He used to work for Phillip Morris (yes, the Big Tobacco
:: Phillip Morris) as a lobbyist in one of their PR firms. Back then
:: the target in his crosshairs was secondhand smoke. BTW, according
:: to him, asbestos isn't really very dangerous either, and Chernobyl
:: wasn't so bad.
::

He sound like the main character in the recent film "Thank You for not
Smoking."

Roger Zoul wrote:
> Carmen wrote:
> :: Hollywood wrote:
> ::: Toto wrote:
> :::: Before you go out for ice cream read this!
> ::::
> :::: According to a study published on Junkscience.com unsafe levels of
> :::
> ::: I could swear that I just read a book that suggested that
> ::: junkscience.com is a right wing organization devoted to undermining
> ::: proper regulatory policy wrt the environment. I would have to go
> ::: back to find the specific mention, but I am pretty sure the site
> ::: was pretty thoroughly discredited. What's interesting is that they
> ::: are going after B&J. Granted, B&J was founded by a couple of
> ::: pro-environment liberal leaning guys. And that's how it looks to
> ::: the casual observer. But in fact, B&J is now just another brand in
> ::: the Unilever portfolio. So why Junkscience.com is going after them,
> ::: I have no idea.
> :::
> ::: -Hollywood
> ::
> :: You remembered correctly. The org is designed to make
> :: environmentalism look ridiculous by being "over the top". The head
> :: honcho, Steve Milloy, is a Fox News drone. That speaks volumes by
> :: itself. He used to work for Phillip Morris (yes, the Big Tobacco
> :: Phillip Morris) as a lobbyist in one of their PR firms. Back then
> :: the target in his crosshairs was secondhand smoke. BTW, according
> :: to him, asbestos isn't really very dangerous either, and Chernobyl
> :: wasn't so bad.
> ::
>
> He sound like the main character in the recent film "Thank You for not
> Smoking."

There are some strong parallels. Coincidence? Only the author knows
for sure. ;-)

Carmen

x-no-archive: Yes

Toto wrote:
> Before you go out for ice cream read this!
>
> According to a study published on Junkscience.com unsafe levels of
> dioxin were measured in a sample of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Ben &
> Jerry's don't deny the allegations, in fact according to their own
> promotional literature "Dioxin is known to cause cancer, genetic and
> reproductive defects and learning disabilities... The only safe level
> of dioxin exposure is no exposure at all."
>
> Dioxin is a by-product of industrial processes such as bleaching with
> chlorine bleach to whiten products including food containers. Dioxin
> can also be created naturally through combustion of plant materials.
> The authors of the study report that according to Ben & Jerry's and U.
> S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, the level of dioxin
> measured could cause about 200 "extra" cancers among lifetime consumers
> of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
>
> For women, this news could have a profound impact on their reproductive
> health since dioxin exposure is linked to cancer and is considered a
> possible cause of endometriosis--a painful condition that can result in
> fertility problems and/or hysterectomy, as well as chronic pelvic pain
> and other conditions.
>
> Michael Gough, lead author, said "The level of dioxin in a serving of
> the Ben & Jerry's World's Best Vanilla Ice Cream tested was almost 200
> times greater than the 'virtually safe (daily) dose' determined by the
> EPA. Mr. Gough is a former government scientist who chaired the U. S.
> Department of Health and Human Services advisory panel on the effects
> of dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange on U. S. Air Force personnel in
> Vietnam.
>
> Gough continued "An independent laboratory measured 0.79 +/- 0.38 parts
> per trillion of dioxin in the sample of ice cream. Our result has
> measurement error associated with it and the sample may not be
> representative of all Ben & Jerry's ice cream, but our result is
> consistent with current scientific literature."
>
> Gough and Steven Milloy, editor of Junkscience.com, noted that they
> believe existing scientific evidence does not credibly link low levels
> of dioxin exposure with human health effects. "But not everyone
> agrees," said Milloy. "Ben & Jerry's and Greenpeace, the company's
> source for information about dioxin, have concluded that dioxin is not
> safe at any level."
>
> Milloy suggested that if dioxin is so dangerous, perhaps Ben & Jerry's
> should remove its ice cream from the market until it is 'safe,'
> consistent with the company's promotional literature." In response, Ben
> & Jerry's said "While Ben & Jerry's may not directly control these
> dioxin emissions, we do know that a reduced reliance on chlorine as a
> bleaching agent will lead to a reduction in dioxin releases from paper
> mills in our waterways." Steps to convert its pint packaging to
> unbleached paperboard are currently underway.
>

Yum, and they make it all taste so good!!!

Susan

Susan wrote:
> x-no-archive: Yes
>
> Toto wrote:
> > Before you go out for ice cream read this!
> >
> > According to a study published on Junkscience.com unsafe levels of
> > dioxin were measured in a sample of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Ben &
> > Jerry's don't deny the allegations, in fact according to their own
> > promotional literature "Dioxin is known to cause cancer, genetic and
> > reproductive defects and learning disabilities... The only safe level
> > of dioxin exposure is no exposure at all."
> >
> > Dioxin is a by-product of industrial processes such as bleaching with
> > chlorine bleach to whiten products including food containers. Dioxin
> > can also be created naturally through combustion of plant materials.
> > The authors of the study report that according to Ben & Jerry's and U.
> > S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, the level of dioxin
> > measured could cause about 200 "extra" cancers among lifetime consumers
> > of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
> >
> > For women, this news could have a profound impact on their reproductive
> > health since dioxin exposure is linked to cancer and is considered a
> > possible cause of endometriosis--a painful condition that can result in
> > fertility problems and/or hysterectomy, as well as chronic pelvic pain
> > and other conditions.
> >
> > Michael Gough, lead author, said "The level of dioxin in a serving of
> > the Ben & Jerry's World's Best Vanilla Ice Cream tested was almost 200
> > times greater than the 'virtually safe (daily) dose' determined by the
> > EPA. Mr. Gough is a former government scientist who chaired the U. S.
> > Department of Health and Human Services advisory panel on the effects
> > of dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange on U. S. Air Force personnel in
> > Vietnam.
> >
> > Gough continued "An independent laboratory measured 0.79 +/- 0.38 parts
> > per trillion of dioxin in the sample of ice cream. Our result has
> > measurement error associated with it and the sample may not be
> > representative of all Ben & Jerry's ice cream, but our result is
> > consistent with current scientific literature."
> >
> > Gough and Steven Milloy, editor of Junkscience.com, noted that they
> > believe existing scientific evidence does not credibly link low levels
> > of dioxin exposure with human health effects. "But not everyone
> > agrees," said Milloy. "Ben & Jerry's and Greenpeace, the company's
> > source for information about dioxin, have concluded that dioxin is not
> > safe at any level."
> >
> > Milloy suggested that if dioxin is so dangerous, perhaps Ben & Jerry's
> > should remove its ice cream from the market until it is 'safe,'
> > consistent with the company's promotional literature." In response, Ben
> > & Jerry's said "While Ben & Jerry's may not directly control these
> > dioxin emissions, we do know that a reduced reliance on chlorine as a
> > bleaching agent will lead to a reduction in dioxin releases from paper
> > mills in our waterways." Steps to convert its pint packaging to
> > unbleached paperboard are currently underway.
> >
>
> Yum, and they make it all taste so good!!!
>
> Susan

Hush woman! <G> I hadn't given Ben and Jerry's any real thought in
years, until they started running those damnable commercials recently.
As luck would have it, one of them is for my old favorite, Phish Food.
I used to love those little chocolate fishies.

Carmen