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On the 23 December 1971, the Swiss introduced a Federal Ordinance on the Commerce of Toxic substances. These were divided into 5 classes, depending on their LD50 (lethal dose applied over 24 hours which kills 50% of lab animals within 5 days), with various exceptions. Anything with an LD50 superior to 15,000 mg/kg was unclassed. It also stipulated the labelling to be applied to such substances and products. The Federal Office for Public Health (OFSP) made up a list of substances and their toxicity class. In the first edition, they classed salt as a Class 5 (the most benign toxicity class) and ethanol as Class 4. This meant that most prepared foods containing salt and all alcoholic liquor had to be labelled as toxic! You can imagine the reaction from the Swiss winegrowers, as well as food producers! The authorities quickly evoked Art. 16 para 3 of the said Ordinance which states that the OFSP could reclassify any product if the danger to man or animals is higher or lower than would otherwise appear. Foodstuffs and liquor were immediately exempted from the labelling requirements. Notwithstanding, it took a couple of years before salt and alcohol were removed from the list of toxic substances!
Be warned therefore that all the alcoholic beverages mentioned in this thread contain a toxic substance
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Brian (the terrible)
Be warned therefore that all the alcoholic beverages mentioned in this thread contain a toxic substance
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Brian (the terrible)
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