Why Food Additives Are Basically Unregulated

[tex]

Hi All,

Have you noticed that the list of food additives seems to be growing at an alarming rate? Do you ever wonder who is responsible for determining the safety of all those chemicals? You were probably thinking that's the FDA's job. And according to the intent of the laws passed by our legislators, you would be correct. But unfortunately, the correct answer is, "No one". That's right — no one.

For a long time, the FDA did indeed rule on petitions filed by manufacturers requesting to use new additives. But the turnaround time became so long that in 1997, in response to continued (and justified) industry complaints, the FDA finally effectively said, "Hey, we're too short-handed to be spending time on this stuff, so y'all just determine whether or not it's safe, and if it is, go ahead and use it. If you aren't sure that it's safe, then submit your data along with a petition and we'll review it and rule on it".

Today, the FDA receives an average of 2 petitions requesting approval for new additives each year. So obviously all these chemical additives are so safe that their safety is a no-brainer.

So now everyone realizes that something needs to be done to correct this huge problem, but what can be done? The FDA, like virtually all huge beaurocracies, spends most of it's funding on administration and other unproductive pastimes such as paperwork and staring at a computer monitor, rather than actually doing their job.

Food additives on the rise as FDA scrutiny wanes

I'm guessing that as usual, nothing will substantially improve, but more taxpayer money will be thrown down the FDA rat hole in a token effort.

Tex

[humbird753]

It is unfortunate they don't care what is done to our food supply. Thankfully after finding this group and learning I have to 'look out for myself' when it comes to what I eat, that it's not a problem for me or others who scrutinize what they eat. Very sad, though, for the people who are blindly eating anything out there. IMO they too will develop health issues because of it. As always, Tex, thanks for keeping us informed.

Paula

[Sheila]

Thanks. Tex. Money talks and our government and elected officials run on political contributions. More and more, corporate interests are running our country and profit is their main consideration, not the greater good.

Sheila W

[seeljanerun]

whattttt???

That is crazy. and sad :(

Now I don't feel so insane for looking up every ingredient on the back of an OTC medication to see what it is..

[tex]

Jane,

The really sad part is that pharmaceutical products are exempt from the labeling laws that apply to foods. Therefore, all that is required is that the manufacturer list the name of the active ingredients, and the percentage of inactive ingredients. Listing the inactive ingredients is strictly optional. Virtually all manufacturers do list them, thank goodness, but if they should choose to omit listing any of them (for whatever reason), they would not be in violation of any laws or regulations.

And now the FDA is ticked off at Consumer Reports for blowing the whistle on the FDA's insistence that canned tuna should be included in the diet of pregnant women, despite the fact that their own data show that it really isn't safe, because at least 1 out of 5 cans contains roughly twice the safe limit of mercury. They continue to use the lame claim that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Oh really? Arsenic has been effectively used as a pharmaceutical agent since about the first century BC. In the mid-1990s, medical researchers in China reported that arsenic trioxide could be used to achieve complete remission in patients who have acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), many of whom cannot be successfully treated by any other known method. Does that make anyone here want to include arsenic in their diet?

I predict that their stupid attempts to bully Consumer Reports will backfire on them and the FDA will continue to lose credibility in the view of most consumers.

Tex

[JFR]

There is almost nothing I buy that has an ingredients list, single ingredient foods for me, and almost nothing I buy that comes in either a can or a box or a jar except perhaps olive oil and coconut oil. Beyond that it is out of my control. There are toxins in the air and water and no one can avoid those entirely but I choose to avoid those that are added to foods for reason other than nutritional benefit.

Jean

[seeljanerun]

Tex, I agree. I feel like anyone who is motivated to even look slightly in to the "best practices" of the FDA would find them quite lacking.

All of it is pretty disturbing.

Jean, I also don't buy things that have ingredients usually, it is only with medications/supplements that I do. I try to stick with relatively benign things like gelatin capsules, silica, cellulose etc. but when it comes to otc like tylenol, benadryl etc. it always amazes me how many random things they put in that serve no purpose. Why do they have to throw in random toxic dyes? Honestly, no one with a bad headache and body pain cares that their pill is pink/red/blue, all they care is that it works and doesn't add to their problems. Also, all the fillers...there has to be a simpler way to package the active ingredient. With all the various formulations of the same drug, its crazy that there isn't an option for dye-free, gluten/corn-free, plain gelatin capsules anywhere.