How Aspartame Became Legal - The Timeline (Rumsfeld)

http://www.rense.com/general33/legal.htm


January 10, 1977-- The FDA formally requests the U.S. Attorney's office to begin grand jury proceedings to investigate whether indictments should be filed against Searle for knowingly misrepresenting findings and "concealing material facts and making false statements" in aspartame safety tests. This is the first time in the FDA's history that they request a criminal investigation of a manufacturer.

January 26, 1977-- While the grand jury probe is underway, Sidley & Austin, the law firm representing Searle, begins job negotiations with the U.S. Attorney in charge of the investigation, Samuel Skinner.

March 8, 1977-- G. D. Searle hires prominent Washington insider Donald Rumsfeld as the new CEO to try to turn the beleaguered company around. A former Member of Congress and Secretary of Defense in the Ford Administration, Rumsfeld brings in several of his Washington cronies as top management.

July 1, 1977-- Samuel Skinner leaves the U.S. Attorney's office and takes a job with Searle's law firm. (see Jan. 26th)

August 1, 1977-- The Bressler Report, compiled by FDA investigators and headed by Jerome Bressler, is released. The report finds that 98 of the 196 animals died during one of Searle's studies and weren't autopsied until later dates, in some cases over one year after death. Many other errors and inconsistencies are noted. For example, a rat was reported alive, then dead, then alive, then dead again; a mass, a uterine polyp, and ovarian neoplasms were found in animals but not reported or diagnosed in Searle's reports.

December 8, 1977-- U.S. Attorney Skinner's withdrawal and resignation stalls the Searle grand jury investigation for so long that the statue of limitations on the aspartame charges runs out. The grand jury investigation is dropped.

June 1, 1979-- The FDA established a Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) to rule on safety issues surrounding NutraSweet.

September 30, 1980-- The Public Board of Inquiry concludes NutraSweet should not be approved pending further investigations of brain tumors in animals. The board states it "has not been presented with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive."

January 1981-- Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of Searle, states in a sales meeting that he is going to make a big push to get aspartame approved within the year. Rumsfeld says he will use his political pull in Washington, rather than scientific means, to make sure it gets approved.

I have an immediate negative reaction to aspertame-feel suicidal, angry, depressed. My doctor says this is the worst sweetener to use. Since I have a glucose problem, I can't eat sugar/corn syrup/honey. She says the safest alternative around now is Splenda, and I have been using that with great success.

Thanks for the timeline. I think she'll find it interesting.

But use Stevia (an herb) in extract form, and am very happy with it. IMO there's no reason to trust that the process by which Splenda was approved was any better -- the FDA has only sunk lower and lower since Rumsfeld's political triumph at Searle, and the pharmaceuticals certainly haven't suddenly found more integrity.

I just use sacchrine; it doesn't seem to affect me

did an exhaustive study of the studies done by government agencies and the non-government labs. the differences in the studies are remarkable. almost all government studies showed no problems,while almost all non-gov't studies did reveal numerous facts, including holes in the brains of rats given large doses of aspartame. his name is ralph walton and he is head of psychiatry at northeast ohio school of medicine. his research was quite revealing of the poor methods used by fda to approve this drug. he is non-political in his assessments. i've been aware of rumsfeld's influence in this matter for a number of years. one more reason i will never trust any of these theives. i never use aspartame.

Been using it for at least 14 years, and my brain is just fine, thanks. :p I'm also not diabetic, which I would likely be w/o it. The highlight of my day is my cup of tea (ok my many cups of tea), and since every other bloody thing I enjoy is either bad for me or makes me fat or gives me diabetes, DON'T take away my Equal. :P

I can't stand Rumsfeld, though.

This is exactly what I learned in Food Science classes at the University of Minnesota in 1982. And it's why I will never, ever consume anything with aspartame in it and tell everyone I know to avoid it like the plague.

Look at that timeline. When Reagan was sworn in, aspartame was approved.