Nexus - 0106 - New Times Magazine-pages

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World Satellite VWVUFlIU SALCLIILE Birthday Nelson Mandela passed his 70th birthday behind bars in July after the world tuned in to a global satellite celebration in June com- memorating the event. In an effort to focus global consciousness on the plight of Mandela and his followers, hundreds of millions of people (estimates ranged between 200 and 800 million) were entertained by Sting, the Eurythmics, Joe Cocker, Joan Armatrading, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins - and Caribbean, Amhem Land and African native dancers and musicians, to name a few. Lacking the wide publicity of earlier sat- ellite hookups such as Bob Geldof’s Live Aid, this 12 hour concert televised from Wembley Stadium in London nonetheless managed to momentarily focus world attention on the situation in Southern Africa. Oz Dumping Ground WorLD HERITAGE Wenote aletter addressed to Peter Sawyer in Australia could be a dumping ground for imposed on all food importers to cover the | the latest issue of Nimbin News which refutes contaminated food, according to a Federal _costs of a stringent food testing program. allegations that World Heritage listing opens government scientist. Anthony Steel, a chem- land up to a ‘World Conservation Bank’ ist at the Australian Government Analytical Medicine (WCB) , which we reported from The Reaper Laboratories (AGAL) in Sydney said that last issue: Australian foods destined for expor: under- “The World Conservation Bank is amyth goes rigorous testing, but that imported foods Up to 20% of medicines on sale in Australia | arising from the International Wilderness do not. have not been tested either, but here the prob- | Conference. Many prominent environmental- AGAL checks only those samples of lem is theopposite imported drugs are now | ists found this conference disgusting and it is imported food sent in by government depart- _ carefully tested, whereas local-made ones ; largely discredited. ments for analysis. Mr Steei, also NSW State _ have slipped through without testing. “In short the WCB does not exist and is Secretary of the Professional Officer’s Asso- Dr John McEwen, acting head of the | never going to control World Heritage areas. ciation, is “incredulous at the factthatoverthe | Commonwealth drug evaluation branch, said | These areas are far safer as internationally last couple of years there has been practically thatmany Australianmedicineshavenotbeen | protected areas than they will ever be under no testing at the point of entry. tested because of a legal loophole. the profit conscious dictates of the impover- “At the moment, we have been lucky “We have no legal right to examine them | ished nations. World Heritage deserves your because importers have been bringing in because we work onthe Customs Import act,” | support, as does the principle of an interna- quality food; but once it becomes wellknown he said. tional organisation succeeding the interests of that Australia conducts minimal testing, who “That means that all imported drugs are | nations...” We thank Ian Peter for this contri- knows what could happen?” checked before sale, but locally-made ones | bution on this important issue. Salmonella-infected andeven radioactive are not.” Dr McEwen cited several examples, foodstuffs have been recalled and destroyed _ including: j . in Australia. The June issue of Consuming + Glucomannan, a diet pill which was sup- L ate Library Interest (the Australian Consumers’ Associa- posed to reduce hunger by swelling in the B k tion quarterly) said that few of 1987’s esti- stomach; 25 Australians had the pill surgi- oo ed mated $1.5 billion worth of imported foods _ cally removed after it blocked their oesopha- . underwent any testing for bacterialorchemi- _— gus. The Library of Alexandria, that Mediterra- cal contamination. The magazine also re- * Danthron, a laxative which was removed | nean repository of ancient knowledge built in ported a December 1986 FederalGovernment _ from the market in 1987 because it caused | the city of Alexander the Great, is being re- working group report which described poor _ cancer. built by the Egyptian government. recording of “failed” imports, dumping of _ + A hair lice shampoo which caused conjunc- Put to the torch in 48 BC in the reign of goods rejected by other countries and the __ tivitis and comea ulceration. Julius Caesar, the library’s new foundation smuggling in of sub-standard goods by ship- The only locally-made drugs which are | stone was laid in June near the original site by ping them from port to port. tested are those subsidised by the Federal | the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak. In June, Mr Steel culled for a levy tobe © Government. Reuter NEXUS New Times Six - Spring 1988 13 VV ULIU OG@UULLILU Birthday Nelson Mandela passed his 70th birthday behind bars in July after the world tuned in to a global satellite celebration in June com- memorating the event. In an effort to focus global consciousness on the plight of Mandela and his followers, hundreds of millions of people (estimates ranged between 200 and 800 million) were entertained by Sting, the Eurythmics, Joe Cocker, Joan Armatrading, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins - and Caribbean, Amhem Land and African native dancers and musicians, to name a few. Lacking the wide publicity of earlier sat- ellite hookups such as Bob Geldof’s Live Aid, this 12 hour concert televised from Wembley Stadium in London nonetheless managed to momentarily focus world attention on the situation in Southern Africa. Birthday Oz Dumping Ground WorLD HERITAGE Wenote aletter addressed to Peter Sawyer in Australia could be a dumping ground for imposed on all food importers to cover the | the latest issue of Nimbin News which refutes contaminated food, according to a Federal _costs of a stringent food testing program. allegations that World Heritage listing opens government scientist. Anthony Steel, a chem- land up to a ‘World Conservation Bank’ ist at the Australian Government Analytical Medicine (WCB) , which we reported from The Reaper Laboratories (AGAL) in Sydney said that last issue: Australian foods destined for expor: under- “The World Conservation Bank is amyth goes rigorous testing, but that imported foods Up to 20% of medicines on sale in Australia | arising from the International Wilderness do not. have not been tested either, but here the prob- | Conference. Many prominent environmental- AGAL checks only those samples of lem is theopposite imported drugs are now | ists found this conference disgusting and it is imported food sent in by government depart- _ carefully tested, whereas local-made ones ; largely discredited. ments for analysis. Mr Steei, also NSW State _ have slipped through without testing. “In short the WCB does not exist and is Secretary of the Professional Officer’s Asso- Dr John McEwen, acting head of the | never going to control World Heritage areas. ciation, is “incredulous at the factthatoverthe | Commonwealth drug evaluation branch, said | These areas are far safer as internationally last couple of years there has been practically thatmany Australianmedicineshavenotbeen | protected areas than they will ever be under no testing at the point of entry. tested because of a legal loophole. the profit conscious dictates of the impover- “At the moment, we have been lucky “We have no legal right to examine them | ished nations. World Heritage deserves your because importers have been bringing in because we work onthe Customs Import act,” | support, as does the principle of an interna- quality food; but once it becomes wellknown he said. tional organisation succeeding the interests of that Australia conducts minimal testing, who “That means that all imported drugs are | nations...” We thank Ian Peter for this contri- knows what could happen?” checked before sale, but locally-made ones | bution on this important issue. Salmonella-infected andeven radioactive are not.” Dr McEwen cited several examples, foodstuffs have been recalled and destroyed _ including: j . in Australia. The June issue of Consuming + Glucomannan, a diet pill which was sup- L ate Library Interest (the Australian Consumers’ Associa- posed to reduce hunger by swelling in the B k tion quarterly) said that few of 1987’s esti- stomach; 25 Australians had the pill surgi- oo ed mated $1.5 billion worth of imported foods _ cally removed after it blocked their oesopha- . underwent any testing for bacterialorchemi- _— gus. The Library of Alexandria, that Mediterra- cal contamination. The magazine also re- * Danthron, a laxative which was removed | nean repository of ancient knowledge built in ported a December 1986 FederalGovernment _ from the market in 1987 because it caused | the city of Alexander the Great, is being re- working group report which described poor _ cancer. built by the Egyptian government. recording of “failed” imports, dumping of _ + A hair lice shampoo which caused conjunc- Put to the torch in 48 BC in the reign of goods rejected by other countries and the __ tivitis and comea ulceration. Julius Caesar, the library’s new foundation smuggling in of sub-standard goods by ship- The only locally-made drugs which are | stone was laid in June near the original site by ping them from port to port. tested are those subsidised by the Federal | the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak. In June, Mr Steel culled for a levy tobe © Government. Reuter NEXUS New mes Six - Spring 1988 13 Dumping Ground Australia could be a dumping ground for contaminated food, according to a Federal government scientist. Anthony Steel, a chem- ist at the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories (AGAL) in Sydney said that Australian foods destined for expor: under- goes rigorous testing, but that imported foods do not. AGAL checks only those samples of imported food sent in by government depart- ments for analysis. Mr Steei, also NSW State Secretary of the Professional Officer’s Asso- ciation, is “incredulous at the fact thatoverthe last couple of years there has been practically no testing at the point of entry. “At the moment, we have been lucky because importers have been bringing in quality food; but once it becomes well known that Australia conducts minimal testing, who knows what could happen?” Salmonella-infected and even radioactive Medicine foodstuffs have been recalled and destroyed in Australia. The June issue of Conswming Interest (the Australian Consumers’ Associa- tion quarterly) said that few of 1987’s esti- mated $1.5 billion worth of imported foods underwent any testing for bacterial or chemi- cal contamination. The magazine also re- ported a December 1986 Federal Government working group report which described poor recording of “failed” imports, dumping of goods rejected by other countries and the smuggling in of sub-standard goods by ship- ping them from port to port. In June, Mr Steel culled for a levy to be Late Library Booked WORLD HERITAGE