STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305 ¢ (415) $21-1200

 

 

STANFORD UNIVERSITY ScHOoL OF MEDICINE
Department of Genetics

OCT 24 1969

Dr. Marvin Legator
FDA

(Personal)
Dear Marvin--

Secy. Finch spoiled my last weekend, though I trust less than
many others', with his action on cyclamates, of which I thoroughly
approve (as the best within the framework of the present system).

You might be interested in the column I first wrote for 10/25, mailed
in Fri. pm., and had to supplant the next morning. That is, I hope
the Post did get and print version ITI.

I'll be seeing you in a couple of days. Meanwhile, I wonder if
you could check out whether ammonium persulfate has ever been used
and/or approved for maturing flour; and if not, why not, in the
light of the glowing accounts of it immediately post-agene. (As
far as I can tell, azodicarbonamide is the favored agent for this
purpose now, and it scares the pants off me that we don't know
what kinds of adducts this makes with food ingredients. Hydrazine-
dicarbonamide (the di-hydro derivative readily formed during baking)
has been reasonably well checked out, but I see no reason to believe
that a wide variety of other inherently suspicious products are not
formed. ) Anyhow, my present inquiry is about the persulfate. I
note that it is listed for bleaching starch.

 

Is there any easy way to find out the quantifdties of these compounds
used? I would then also add acetone peroxide.

See you soon.

Sincerely,

A.

Joshua Lederberg

LT. J. P. KENNEDY, JR. LABORATORIES FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE, DEDICATED TO RESEARCH IN MENTAL RETARDATION
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY HEREDITY NEUROBIOLOGY DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE