No to Aspartame and Sucralose

To: The Honorable Frank Torti, M.D. Acting Commissioner, United States Food and Drug Administration
We, the undersigned, are aware of the dangers of these products:
Please view the following 23 videos all made by different people, except two because one is a sequel and the other is a different video made by same person:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELgW4KBY-o4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6kugBMjG_g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rJ1jpr5c4Y&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvFRLIjOLOU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDqUpuZu8mY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI8ZWYfw5Zw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FeOtSNU900&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-usbGZez40&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FemIWmqWwHE&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn7EMipoDfY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K3s8scj9Ww&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kji8UBpLB9c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv9pIUVdmpw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn5slnNB8h0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ3pwSSg1jg&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2RYjbCh-wE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyOXhbZ7b80&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7oIzMgLQ5A&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l0SjUR80ag&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6079M5nPtsE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZoDiFdLex8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb1CsbR2Zr8&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTalzagjBn0
http://www.janethull.com/
http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda/splenda-adverse.txt
http://www.lenntech.com/periodic-chart-elements/cl-en.htm
http://www.wnho.net/sucralose.htm
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Tate-Lyle-fights-to-preserve-status-in-sucralose-market
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/splenda.cfm
http://www.epilepsy.com/101/ep101_symptom
http://www.wnho.net/congressionalrecord.htm
http://www.sunsentpress.com
http://www.dorway.com
http://www.wnho.net


This is just the tip of the iceberg. I wanted to let those people VOICE their concerns about both Aspartame and Sucralose. They echo what we all know from our own experiences.

I ate two spoonfuls of a yogurt laced with Sucralose- by accident because I do read my labels but didn't know about Sucralose yet. I started feeling "brain dead" like I was high. I had no brain for a few days but instead had piercing temple headaches, something I never suffer from. I was dizzy and my arms were hot and they were feeling strange. I was relieved that I could be home and was not driving, or operating a machine or working because I was too disoriented.

It was not a coincidence that the next day at work, a colleague said she was going to go home early because she was feeling so bad. She had my symptoms. I asked her if she had eaten Sucralose or a lite yogurt. She said she had one for breakfast and had not made the connection until I did. I did because I looked up Sucralose to confirm that that was what made me sick.
 
NM Senator Ortiz y Pino Asks FDA's Torti: Rescind FDA Approval for Neurotoxic Carcinogenic Aspartame
New Mexico Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino writes to FDA Acting Commissioner Torti: "Take Aspartame off the Market," based on his New Mexico Resolution and even stronger Bills to Ban Aspartame in both houses of the Hawaii Legislature, to protect consumers
http://www.prlog.org/10182605-nm-senator-ortiz-pino-asks-fda-acting-commissioner-torti-to-rescind-fda-approval-for-aspartame.html
I am the New Mexico sponsor of the enclosed Senate Memorial 9, 2009, asking
the Food and Drug Administration to rescind its approval for the artificial
sweetener, aspartame.

You may know that the FDA, to its credit, turned down G.D. Searle%u2019s
application for aspartame%u2019s approval from 1966 to 1981, at which point,
approval was forced through the FDA at the insistence fo Searle%u2019s CEO,
Donald Rumsfeld.

Numerous physicians%u2019 petitions as well as many private petitions have been
filed with FDA since 1981 asking for the rescinding of aspartame%u2019s approval.
These have all been routinely ignored and responded to with industry
assurance about how many industry financed "tests" aspartame has been
through, all of which showed "aspartame to be safe."

FDA used to keep records on consumer complaints on aspartame, accruing a
minimum of 92 alleged symptoms from ingesting aspartame, ranging from
headaches, blurred vision, skin rashes, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis to
that ultimate symptom, DEATH.

Dr. Torti, this chemical has produced a massive mountain of medical and
neurodengenerative evidence, which I believe would lead you to order it
removed from the market. While it is too late to do this now as
a "precaution"; it is even more imperative to do this as a means of
preventing further medical harm to future victims.

This Memorial is advancing in the New Mexico Senate, after being cosponsored
by ten of my colleagues. A similar version of the Memorial has also been
introduced by Hawaii Senator Chun Oakland, and is cosponsored by ten
members of the Hawaii Senate. That resolution will create an evidentiary
repository for Hawaii victims, especially those with diabetes and epileptic
seizures, now statistically epidemic in Hawaii, with links to aspartame.

In January 2009, Hawaii Senator Kalani English introduced SB576 in that
state. It would ban aspartame entirely in Hawaii. This bill is cosponsored
by an astonishing 14 members of the 25 member Hawaii Senate. At the same
time, Representative Mele Carroll has introduced HB669, also banning
aspartame%u2019s sale and use in Hawaii.

I realize a permanent FDA Commissioner has not yet been selected by the
Obama Administration, but when one is appointed, I will send a similar
letter to him/her to again request this action in order to protect the
American public from further harm from a chemical that the FDA has known for
43 years is metabolized as methanol, formaldehyde, aspartic acid,
phenylalanine, and the proven carcinogen, diketopiperazine.

This regulatory failure of epic proportions entirely resulted from the
actions of Donald Rumsfeld when he was with the original patent holder for
aspartame. There is sufficient evidence to warrant such a rescinding, a
situation not unlike that in 1969 when President Richard Nixon similarly
ordered the FDA to take away the approval for another group of carcinogens,
cyclamates, which occurred very quickly.

Our concern must be the overarching concerns of preventing further
neurodengenerative and carcinogenic damage to hundreds of millions of
Americans, who have no other government entity to trust and depend on than
the United State Food and drug Administration!

I believe that President Obama, Congressman Bart Stupak, and Congresswoman
Rosa Delauro all want to see the rebuilding of an FDA that merits the
restored trust of the American people. I certainly want to see this come
about, and I hope you do as well.

Rescinding aspartame%u2019s FDA approval would be a major credible first step in
the right direction.

Sincerely yours,


Gerald Ortiz y Pino
New Mexico State Senator
District 12
Albuquerque

# # #
"Hawaii Lawmakers Pushing for Aspartame Ban Should Be Commended
By Stephen Fox, 3/11/2009 9:23:54 AM

I want to personally extend my thanks and commendation to 12 members of the Hawaii State House of Representatives for cosponsoring and cosigning the Resolution by Rep. Mele Carroll. The resolution asks the FDA and Health and Human Services Secretary to rescind the FDA approval for aspartame, the neurotoxic and artificial sweetener found in 6,000 USA food products, despite the very well known fact that it is metabolized as methanol and formaldehyde.

These members include:

* Rep. Cindy Evans
* Rep. Tom Brower
* Rep. Della Au Belatti
* Rep. Karen Awana
* Rep. Joe Bertram III
* Rep. Jerry Chang
* Rep. Corinne Ching
* Rep. Faye Hanohano
* Rep. Michael Magaoay
* Rep. Ken Ito
* Rep. Marilyn Lee
* Rep. Roy Takumi
...
The people of Hawaii need to know that last September, parents in British Columbia, Canada, prevailed upon their Education Ministry to ban all artificial sweeeteners in the elementary and middle schools, even though Health Canada, the equivalent of the FDA, still approves the products.

Apparently the parents in BC have been paying more attention to the massive evidence of neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity than the responsible officials in Ottawa, Canada's Capital.

...on Friday, March 5, the State of California Office of Environmental Hazards announced that its Carcinogen Identification Committee will consider labeling aspartame as a chemical that causes cancer, and to require labeling as such. The comment period is open till the end of May, and I encourage Representatives, Senators, physicians and health oriented people into organic foods, to take the time to submit testimony.

I am particularly concerned about the Chairman and the Vice Chairman of the House Health Committee, the first committee assignment for such a Resolution. Chair Ryan Yamane and Vice Chair Scott Nishimoto declined to even schedule a hearing on the bill to ban aspartame earlier in the session, as did Senator David Ige of Pearl City. This is pretty shocking as obstructionist behaviour in any legislator, and perhaps if readers in their House and Senate Districts also spoke to these legislators and made them realize that this is a deadly serious consumer protection effort, we might seem some meaningful results from these 2 reps and one state senator (from Pearl City), because to date we have seen none.

If you Representative is on the Consumer Committee, where such a resolution would go next, Chairman Robert Herkes and Vice Chair McKelvey need to hear from you as well.

A similar Senate Resolution is languishing in Senator Ige's Committee, Senate Resolution 13, sponsored by Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland. Ige killed a bill to ban last year and this year, and killed the same Resolution last year also sponsored by Suzanne Chun Oakland.

Stephen Fox is the Editor of the New Mexico Sun News in Santa Fe, New Mexico"

Thank you for watching, reading and considering our testimonials to you about our concerns with these sweeteners: Aspartame and Sucralose. We hope you will understand that we will continue to write until something changes and both products are removed from the shelves and the country.
Sincerely,
The Petition Signers