''FDA to Consider Revamping Food Additive Rules''

"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."

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Chemicals in Our Food: What We Don't Know May Be Hurting Us

The 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.

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National Public Health Week

This year's celebration of National Public Health Week (NPHW) focuses on the theme, "Public Health is ROI: Save Lives, Save Money." Join us in recognizing the work of Pew's Health Initiatives. More info

''Brominated Vegetable Oil in Gatorade?''

From 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.

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Pew Workshop Examines the FDA's Approach to Ensuring Food Contains Safe Levels of Added Chemicals

More 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.

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''Drink Ingredient Gets a Look''

Sarah 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.

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Toxicology: The learning curve

Researchers say that some chemicals have unexpected and potent effects at very low doses — but regulators aren't convinced. More info

''Who Determines Safety of New Food Ingredients?''

"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. 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."

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Pew Comments on Draft Guidance for Industry Regarding Nanotechnology in Food

The Food Additives Project of the Pew Health Group strongly agrees with the FDA's draft decision to deny "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) status to nanoengineered chemicals and review them as food additives. However, they list their concerns with certain aspects of the document and question the agency's claim that it has not reviewed GRAS notifications sanctioning the use of nanoengineered chemicals. More info

''Self-Affirmed GRAS Under Fire Again As Pew Highlights 'Loophole That Appears to Have Swallowed the Law''

"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."

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