newly proposed bill in California and new york Food additives (things chemical manufacturers add to food to act as preservatives or to improve color, texture, or taste) are examined under a microscope.
Legislatures seek to ban the manufacture and sale of products containing additives linked to cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, and hormonal dysfunction. The five additives specified in the bill are most commonly found in baked goods, candies and sodas, and are almost completely banned in European foods. Kano Health Association concerns raised Potential health hazards of food additives as a whole.
Both are expected to come into effect in 2025, if the bills are approved. California bill sponsors Jesse Gabriel and Buffy Wicks said the restriction could specifically protect children, who are more at potential risk than adults.
“Kids eat more and more,” says Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics at NYU Langone Health who specializes in environmental health. “Their developing organs are particularly vulnerable.”
The New York Times asked experts about these five additives and how to avoid or limit your exposure if you’re concerned.
What are the 5 additives in banknotes?
In determining which additives to include, state legislators worked with the nonprofit Consumer Reports and Environmental Working Group to identify additives that are banned in Europe but still widely used in the United States. I searched.
“These five were just the worst of the worst,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group.
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Red dye No.3 Used in nearly 3,000 foods, including icings, nutritional shakes, maraschino cherries, peppermint, berries, and cherry-flavored candies. is shown in cause cancer This led the US Food and Drug Administration to ban it for use in cosmetics in 1990. At the time, the FDA was considering extending the ban to food, but the chemical is still in use today.There are also concerns that other synthetic food dyes may be the culprit. behavioral problemssuch as hyperactivity in children.
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titanium dioxide Works as a whitening agent, color enhancer and anti-caking agent in thousands of foods. This is most notorious for Skittles, who are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit alleging that the additive renders the candy “unfit for human consumption”. It is also found in frozen dairy products such as dressings, cheese pizza and ice cream.a Safety evaluation A study conducted by the European Food Safety Authority in 2021 concluded that titanium dioxide can damage DNA and harm the immune system, and will be banned in the EU in 2022.
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brominated vegetable oil It acts as an emulsifier in fruit drinks and sodas.studies in rats — including Research published by the FDA In 2022 — suggests that brominated vegetable oils act as endocrine disruptors, specifically affecting thyroid hormones.Ann previous research It turns out that it can also harm the reproductive system. Because of its potential risks, many big brands including Coca-Cola and Pepsi have recently stopped using the chemical, although it is still used by some smaller grocery store beverage brands. increase.
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potassium bromate Found primarily in baked goods such as bread, cookies, and tortillas, it acts as a leavening agent and improves texture. This additive is classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. International Agency for Research on Cancerbased on studies done in animals.
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Propylparaben It is a preservative used in packaged baked goods, especially pastries and tortillas. It is also found in many cosmetics and personal care products. In numerous studies, human and animalshowing that propylparaben acts as an endocrine disruptor and affects reproductive health in men and women.
“If you need to start somewhere, these five are great,” says Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington who studies endocrine disruptors. “They have strong health data and are widely used in many products, so there could be very large exposures.”
How does the FDA regulate these additives?
In response to the California bill, which preceded the New York bill, a coalition of food industry companies wrote: opposition letter “All five of these additives have been thoroughly reviewed by federal and state systems and many international scientific bodies and continue to be considered safe. A spokesperson for the association reiterated this in an email to The Times, saying members are adhering to FDA guidelines.
An FDA official said in an email to The Times that the FDA evaluates food additives based on many factors, including “expected consumption (dietary exposure)” and “research supporting their safety.” It is written that
In practice, however, many chemicals generally recognized as safeIt states that if a food additive is deemed safe by a “qualified professional,” it can forgo review by the FDA.
If concerns arise after a chemical has already been approved, or if new relevant research becomes available, “the FDA will reassess the safety of the ingredient,” agency officials wrote. After the EU decided to ban titanium dioxide in 2022, the FDA reviewed the evidence on titanium dioxide. Results report determined that “there is no evidence to suggest that dietary exposure to additives is a concern for human health.”
One point of contention is that most of the research on these additives has been done in animals. This is because it is difficult (and unethical) to conduct toxicity studies in humans. As a result, “elimination of Red 3 or titanium dioxide from the U.S. diet would not be a perfectly accurate and quantifiable reduction in the number of people suffering from cancer,” Faber said. “But what we can do to reduce our exposure to carcinogens, whether they are known or suspected carcinogens, is a step in the right direction.”
Dr. Sathyanarayana added: And our regulatory system misses that whole notion. ”
If I am concerned, how can I avoid these additives?
The best way to avoid potentially dangerous food additives is to avoid eating cooked, processed foods and instead stick to fresh ingredients. Please read. Dr. Sathyanarayana said a rule of thumb is to choose foods with short ingredient lists and skip foods with unpronounceable ingredients. She mentioned other chemicals to avoid in meat, including the preservatives butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, and bovine growth hormone.
Over the past few years, several food manufacturers and grocery store chains have stopped using or selling products containing some or all of these additives, according to the Environmental Working Group. All five additives have chemical alternatives that serve the same purpose and are considered safer for human consumption, but they are more expensive. are likely to follow suit. Because it might not be economically wise for him to produce one batch for California and New York and another batch for the rest of the United States.
Some experts say the bill hasn’t gone far enough. Instead, they say a complete overhaul of the FDA’s review process is needed.
“While we understand that the focus on five chemicals is appropriate, it overlooks broader and systemic issues,” Dr. Trasande said.and policy statement He and Dr. Sathyanarayana wrote on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics that they call for nine changes to how the federal government regulates food additives.
Similarly, Faber called the generally accepted safe review process a “loophole” that should be closed, and said many of the outside experts who perform the review are employed by the chemical companies that make the additives. Stated.
“Consumers can certainly read labels and avoid these chemicals, but it shouldn’t be up to them to keep us safe,” he said. We had the FDA charged in 1958 to ensure the safety of food chemicals in food, and the FDA let us down.”
