The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a ban on a growth control chemical called daminozide, which is sold by the trade name Alar, that makes apples appear more appealing and last longer, citing “an inescapable and direct” link to cancer that during a lifetime could cause five deaths for every 100,000 people exposed. While the EPA said the cancer risk is not high enough to warrant an emergency action to remove the chemical from the market, it urged its manufacturer to withdraw the chemical until a final regulation banning the chemical can be issued. The chemical is absorbed by the fruit and has been used by apple growers since the early 1970s to spur even growth and reduce spoilage. Alar’s manufacturer, Uniroyal Chemical Co. of Middlebury, Conn., immediately challenged the EPA findings and promised to contest any government ban.