Joanne R. Pompano
The manufacturer of Benlate, DuPont, firmly denies that Benlate does not pose a risk to human health. In fact, they maintain that the fungicide does not damage plants, pets, or humans. They has rapidly expressed denials that the fungicide is dangerous and indicated that according to their research when used according to label, Benlate does not cause any adverse health effects. (76)
Furthermore, DuPont claimed there was no evidence that there is no credible evidence that Benlate exposure results in birth defects. Defenders also maintain that the studies conducted were flawed. For instance, they point out that the rats in some studies were fed 1,000 times the estimated dose of benomyl that farm workers would be expected to be exposed to normally. (77)
In addition, Dupont and other agencies point to the fact that there are numerous chemicals used in agriculture and, therefore, it is difficult to single out Benlate or any other chemical as the cause of the deformities.
In short, Dupont attorneys argued that there was no scientific evidence that the chemical caused the birth defects. They pointed to government and scientific studies that said “there is no credible scientific evidence linking the use of Benlate to human health effects.” 78)