Although volumes for the merged com­pany were up, net profits for 1998, before exceptional charges, were $4.0 billion, down 40% from the figure that would have been earned in 1997 had the two companies been merged then. Total sales for 1998 were $837 billion, down 23%, reflecting a substantial fall in oil prices and a downturn in refining and chemicals busi­nesses. Chemical sales in 1998 were $9.69 billion, down 15% from 1997 combined results, with operating profits of $1.1 bil­lion, down 28%.

Patricia Layman

Genetically modified foods incite U.K. debate "Frankenstein foods" is what British news­papers are calling them—genetically modi­fied foods, that is. And last week, the U.K.'s official scientific community became em­broiled in the impassioned debate that has flared up over the long-term safety of genet­ically modified crops and foods to human health and the environment.

Late last month, a consortium of envi­ronmental activist groups, celebrity chefs, and food writers urged a consumer boy­cott of any such products and foods containing them. Just last week, another consortium of activist groups—one that combines such partners as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the U.K.'s Townswomen's Guild—called for a five-year moratorium on such crops and foods.

The groups essentially want more ex­haustive tests run on modified foods, through measures such as rodent-feeding studies, for example, much as drugs are tested for long-term safety.

The British government has hastened to support the science of biotechnology underpinning genetically modified foods, and its scientific officers say the food is safe for consumption by humans and for use in animal feeds. But by the end of the week, the British government was indi­cating it might delay approvals for plant­ing genetically engineered crops.

The current debate in Britain is remi­niscent of two events last year. French protests over genetically modified foods culminated in an informal "people's trial" and the grudging acceptance of the products on an experimental basis. And Swiss voters overwhelmingly defeated a referendum to ban genetic research. But now there's an added twist.

Whereas once upon a time Brits would have found reassurance in their

government's assurances, government officials over the past five years have lost virtually all credibility when it comes to food safety in the U.K.

Consumers, food retailers, and farmers alike have been thoroughly spooked by the appearance of bovine spongiform en­cephalopathy (BSE) in the nation's cattle herd. The BSE-contaminated beef, in turn, is now linked to a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease that has claimed almost 40 lives in the U.K. and France.

At each stage of the slow-moving di­saster—from incorporating ground sheep into cattle feed to human con­sumption of BSE-infected beef—govern­ment science officers assured the public

everything was safe. In each case, a lengthy period of incubation proved them tragically wrong.

The government's current assertions were undercut by the leak last week to Friends of the Earth of a report prepared by the British Department of Environ­ment last June. The report expressed government scientists' concern over po­tential adverse effects of genetically mod­ified crops on wildlife and biological di­versity in the environment. The govern­ment said the timing was all just a coincidence—the report, which had had a long gestation period, had already been scheduled for publication on Feb. 18.

Patricia Layman

New members elected to National Academy of Engineering

During its mid-February annual meeting in Washington, D.C., the National Acade­my of Engineering (NAE) announced the election of 80 new members and eight foreign associates. This brings the acade­my's total U.S. membership to 1,984 and the number of foreign associates to 154. NAE mem­bership honors those individuals who have made "important con­tributions to engi­neering theory andpractice" and/ or demonstrated "unusual accom­plishment in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology." New members and foreign associates who are chemists or chemical en­gineers or who work in chemically related areas in­clude.

NEW MEMBERS

Schnoor Srinivasan

John F. Brady, professor of chemical engineering and executive officer for Froment chemical engineering, Cali­fornia Institute of Technology, Pasadena.

Reg Davies, DuPont Fellow, Particle Science & Technology Center, DuPont, Wilmington, Del

Haren S. Gandhi, Ford Technical Fel­low and manager, chemical engineering department, Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich.

Frederick J. Krambeck, advanced se­nior consultant, Mobil Technology Co., Paulsboro, N.J.

Michael R. Ladisch, professor of food

service and agricultural and biological engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.

Richard G. Luthy, Thomas Lord Profes­sor of Environmental Engineering, depart­ment of civil and environmental engineer­

ing, Carnegie Mel­lon University, Pittsburgh.

John S. New­man, professor, chemical engi­neering depart­ment, University of California, Berkeley.

Gary A. Pope, Texaco Centen­nial Chair in Pe­troleum Engi­

neering and director, Center for Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering, University of Texas, Austin.

Jerald L Schnoor, Univer­sity of Iowa Foundation Dis­tinguished Professor of Envi­ronmental Engineering, Uni­versity of Iowa, Iowa City.

Rangaswamy Srinivasan, president, UV Tech Associ­ates, Ossining, N.Y.

George Stephanopoulos, A.D. Iitde Professor of Chemical Engineer­ing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

James R. Swartz, professor of chemi­cal engineering, Stanford University.

FOREIGN ASSOCIATES Gilbert F. Froment, professor emeri­

tus of chemical engineering, University of Ghent, Belgium.

Julia S. Higgins, professor of polymer science, department of chemical engi­neering, Imperial College, London.

FEBRUARY 22, 1999 C&EN 9