"Grocery shoppers examining colorful packages bearing long lists of hard-to-pronounce ingredients might take comfort in the belief that those substances were deemed safe by the government.
They might also believe that some federal agency must, at least, be notified when a new substance enters the U.S. food supply.
But that's not the case.
Over the past 15 years, the vast majority of new ingredients added to U.S. food never received a safety determination from the government. And since 1958, at least 1,000 legally entered the food supply without the knowledge of government officials, according to the Pew Health Group.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration acknowledges that since 1997, it has largely transferred the responsibilities for pre-market safety determinations on ingredients — including flavorings, preservatives, texturizers and binders — from its own scientists to food manufacturers."
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"Last year, the Pew Health Group added to the debate by publishing a report with estimates on the number of substances the FDA has reviewed (7,000) since 1958, those it hasn't (3,000) and those it has never been notified about (1,000). These include ingredients added directly to food but also indirect ingredients, which come into contact with food during processing and in packaging.
Pew plans to publish more studies in coming months focusing on how other countries treat U.S. GRAS ingredients and how the program deals with conflicts of interest between scientists and manufacturers, among other topics.
Although Pew researchers acknowledge that the 1997 rule change encouraged more manufacturers to submit notifications about new ingredients to the FDA, very few of those manufacturers ask for an FDA review, preferring to make their own determinations. The change also limits the opportunity for the public to provide input on new ingredients.
"The FDA no longer writes specific regulations for the use of the substance or puts those rules up for public comment by consumers, academics and competitors," said Tom Neltner, who heads the Pew Health Group project."
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"Neltner advises consumers to consider the source when making food decisions.
"Ask yourself if you can trust that company, because it ultimately comes down to them making the safety decisions," he said.
"Do they see themselves in it for the long term or short term? Some take their responsibilities very seriously and are very conscientious and are going to be very careful. But it's also a global market out there today."
A recent article by Pew experts concludes that the science the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses to assess the safety of food additives has not kept pace with recent scientific developments, and the agency should review and retool its approach to making decisions about the safety of chemicals used in food and packaging in the United States.
More info"Amid growing public concern over the safety of additives in products ranging from caffeinated energy drinks to industrial chemicals in food containers and water bottles, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is under pressure to reexamine its rules, and there are signs it may do so."
More infoThe complexity of our food supply and the oversight of its safety raise fundamental questions about what we eat — some of which were answered for the first time in "Navigating the U.S. Food Additive Regulatory Program," an analysis undertaken by Pew and published in the peer-reviewed journal, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. The following "frequently asked questions" summarize the findings and conclusions of this article.
More infoFrom oil in Gatorade to the amount of caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks and the so-called "pink slime" found in beef, previously unnoticed ingredients are coming under scrutiny as health-conscious consumers demand more information about what they eat and drink, and sometimes go public via social networking and the Internet.
More infoMore than 70 stakeholders examined how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures that people are exposed to safe levels of chemicals in food.The proceedings, published in the January 2013 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, lay out participants’ perspectives for enhancing the FDA’s methods.
More infoSarah Kavanagh and her little brother were looking forward to the bottles of Gatorade they had put in the refrigerator after playing outdoors one hot, humid afternoon last month in Hattiesburg, Miss. But before she took a sip, Sarah, a dedicated vegetarian, did what she often does and checked the label to make sure no animal products were in the drink. One ingredient, brominated vegetable oil, caught her eye.
More info"There are serious weaknesses in a system that allows firms to self-affirm the safety of food ingredients without the approval or knowledge of regulators, according to researchers conducting a probe into the nation’s food additives law."
More infoIn the November 1, 2011, edition of the peer-reviewed journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety (CRFS), Pew Health Group published a rigorous analysis of the U.S. food additive regulatory program. Key among the findings is that more than 10,000 chemicals were allowed in human food as of January 2011.
More infoIn April 2011 Pew Health Group convened a workshop bringing together more than 80 experts from government, industry, academia and public interest organizations to examine the principles underlying the development and use of scientific evidence to identify and characterize chemical hazards. Based on the workshop discussions, Pew made several important observations.
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