Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site bunker.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!ittvax!bunker!garys From: garys@bunker.UUCP (Gary M. Samuelson) Newsgroups: net.abortion Subject: Aborted fetuses in Cosmetics Message-ID: <878@bunker.UUCP> Date: Tue, 18-Jun-85 09:24:12 EDT Article-I.D.: bunker.878 Posted: Tue Jun 18 09:24:12 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 20-Jun-85 07:45:04 EDT References: <855@bunker.UUCP> <863@bunker.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Bunker Ramo, Trumbull Ct Lines: 145 I am continuing the series on the disposition of aborted fetuses, supplying, as promised, references for the statements made in the orginal article by Dr. Fairfax. This one deals with the charges that fetal material is used in the manufacture of cosmetics. From an article by Ray DiBlasio, in _Update_, April, 1982. This ghoulish business first came to light last April when a truckload of frozen human fetuses from central Europe was intercepted by horrified guards at the Swiss- French border. Finding nothing in their handbook of regulations that applied to such a cargo, the guards had to allow the shipment to continue on to its cosmetic factory destination. In a followup article by the same writer (I think the citation says "October" -- this is one of the blurred parts of my copies): ...many were calling or writing [in response to the above] to reaffirm their support of ACCL while registering polite disbelief ... Was there any proof that French cosmetics firms used human fetuses in their products? ... Clearly it was time to recheck our source, journalist Nick Thimmesch, whose syndicated column first alerted us to the French cosmetics conncetion. ... Although the manuscripts included commentary from Gazette du Palais, a leading French legal journal, what most commanded our attention was a little brochure issued by Madame Renee Ibry of the Centre Henri Chenot, a beauty parlor in Cannes, promoting the miraculous regenerative powers of Californie Esthetique. The cosmetic preparation, to sample the detailed and extravagant claims made in the brochure, is made from fresh cells taken exclusively from fetuses, flash frozen and preserved in a frozen state until used... Color coding identifies cosmetic sticks fashioned from various fetal organs and recommended for different applications... From the above-mentioned brochure ('???' indicates places in my copy which are illegible): Ces cellules sont d'autant efficaces qu'elles sont vivantes... Exclusivement pre'leve'es sur des foetus, ces cel??? non encore autonomes n'engendrent en ??? cas d'anticorps; ceci reduit au maxi??? les risques d'allergie: -- Absolument naturel ce produit ce presente pour l'usage `a domicile. -- Stick rouge: placenta de foetus, rate, foie, et thymus. -- Stick blanc: liquide polyvalent mesenchrymateux A translation is provided for those (like me) who do not speak French: These cells are the more effective if they are living... Exclusively taken from fetuses, these cells, no longer independent, do not carry antibodies under any circumstances; this reduces to a minimum any risk of allergic reaction. -- Absolutely natural, this product is made for use at home. -- Red stick: placenta of the fetus, spleen, liver, and thymus. -- White stick: liquid polyvalent mesenchry matic [whatever that is -- GMS] (drawn from intestinal membranes). What about American cosmetics? I have copies of letters from three companies, which I will excerpt: From Hask Inc./Toiletries, makers of Hask TiaZolin Products: The placenta we use is derived from umbilical cords [sic!] which are accumulated as a part of human afterbirth from normal births only. Please be assured that the placenta we use is obtained only after the birth and we never use placenta from any but perfectly normal births (never from abortions or miscarriages). From Mary Kay Cosmetics: ...the collagen used in our Mary Kay Products (Mary Kay Moisturizer and Mr K Moisture Lotion) is an animal product and certainly has nothing to do with human fetuses. It is true that some cosmetic manufacturers in the United States use proteins prepared from human placenta, but our Company does not use any such ingredients... Collagen is derived from the hides of animals and obtained during the normal meat processing cycle. No animals are sacrificed for the specific purpose of obtaining collagen. From Revlon: Collagen in our products is generally of bovine origin, and is a by-product of the food industry. Generally? Do I detect a slight evasion? Quoting from the cover letter that accompanied the material I have: ...the cosmetics industry works under its own set of definitions [as opposed to standard reference diction- aries -- GMS] obtained from several sources approved by the Food and Drug Administration. One of these sources is the dictionary of the Cosmetics, Toiletries, and Fragrances Association (CTFA), the trade group for cosmetics producers. According to a spokesman for CTFA, _their_ definition of collagen and/or animal collagen would exclude that which has a human source. Further complicating the question is the limited authority of the FDA over cosmetic products. Essentially, while the FDA can investigate complaints, it does not require cosmetics producers to obtain advance approval of contents or labelling as it does with drugs. In fact, one FDA official conceded that under current regulations, there would be little, if anything, FDA could do to stop the inclusion of human source collagen in cosmetics -- even if it had proof that this was occurring! Meanwhile there are apparently authoritative reports coming from Europe attesting to a growing traffic in human fetal remains, at least some of which is allegedly destined for cosmetic products. Our researchers note that many of our major domestic cosmetics producers are truly multi-national companies with research, production, and marketing facilities abroad. And, many U.S.-marketed products claim, or infer, European origin. In summary, it is not clear whether any cosmetics manufactured in the U.S. contain human collagen. Two companies denied explicitly that they use human collagen -- and I do not have reason to doubt their statements -- but the third hedged on the question. And at least one French firm goes so far as to boast about the fact that they use fetal organs -- not just collagen -- in their products. Cosmetics imported to the U.S. from Europe may or may not contain products from fetal remains. Gary Samuelson ittvax!bunker!garys