02/05/2007
Adisseo, the world’s 3rd biggest animal feed supplement producer, has been grossly negligent, said the social security tribunal (TASS) for Moulins in France on 20 April 2007, ordering the company to pay out compensation of 50 000 to 60 000 euros to each of its nine factory workers and ex-workers who are suffering from kidney cancer. The men worked or still work in the plant’s vitamin A production shop, which has been using the mutagen and carcinogen Chloracetal C5 since 1982. The tribunal found that “despite knowing that Chloracetal C5 was a mutagen in 1990, Adisseo France failed to show that it had really improved protection for its employees”.

“Many cases of kidney cancer were diagnosed among the site’s employees from 1984 onwards (...). Twenty-two cases were found, including several deaths”, notes the ruling. It is a fairly uncommon form of cancer, occurring in 5 000 people a year on average. “The disease resulted from Adisseo France’s breaches of duty”, meaning that the company was “grossly negligent”. The tribunal found that Adisseo had not taken “the necessary measures despite being aware of the danger”, and doubled the amount of pension payable to the victims.

Source: L’Humanité