Everything Eudaimonia

Hi guys, I’m glad you’re here. Always exciting to have people read these. Last week we talked about happiness in Denmark, and this week we’re going to change gears and revisit another public health article. If you’re curious about public health and want to stay up to date on all recent news releases, I suggest checking out the EWG website. Today we’re going to be discussing an article they released called “A Baker’s Dozen of Food Chemicals the FDA Should Ban Next”. I found this article interesting because it outlines the dangerous chemicals found in many of America’s favorite food items and why they should be banned.

I learned recently that the FDA banned Red No. 3, a synthetic dye linked to cancer. I thought it was interesting that Red Dye 3 was already banned from cosmetic products back in 1990 for associations with cancer, yet it took another 35 years to take it out of our food. Talk about efficiency. I still acknowledge that this ban is great news, but we can see from this article more work needs to be done to make America healthier.

EWG believes that the FDA should ban the following drugs: PFAS, BPA, TCE, BHA, BHT, titanium dioxide, Propylparaben and potassium bromate, Perchlorate, Phthalates, and several more. Most of these are initialed because they are unpronounceable, serving as another reason they probably shouldn’t be in our food sources.

PFAS:

To begin, PFAS increases the risk of cancer and heart disease yet they are still allowed to be used in cookware and some manufactured foods. The dangers of this chemical have been known since the 60s with no course of action or acknowledgment from the FDA. The furthest they’ve taken it has been the “consideration of banning” the PFAS chemical fluorinated polyethylene as of last year. However, considering something and actually doing it are two very different things.

PFAS are extremely dangerous and can contaminate food through several different methods. For example, the food packaging process, and polluted water, soil, and animal feed are all means by which PFAS can enter a food source. This article notes that PFAS should be banned in the U.S. as they have been in several other countries. At the very least, however, food companies should be required to test foods for PFAS contamination.

BPA:

BPA is another chemical with widely known and acknowledged dangers thus leading to its ban in several other nations. The immune and reproductive systems are known to be disrupted most by the ongoing use of this chemical. A petition to ban BPA has been circulating as of 2022, with again no acknowledgment or action by the FDA.

TCE:

Next, let’s talk about TCE. While this chemical is banned by the EPA due to its association with cancer and birth defects, the FDA has yet to make this move. Because it has yet to be banned, TCE, benzene, methylene chloride, and ethylene chloride are still used in the production of decaf coffee products and some spices.

BHA and BHT:

Jumping to BHA and BHT, both have been linked to health harms ranging from cancer to hormone disruptions. The safety of BHA has almost always been questionable and despite the National Toxicology Program’s consensus that BHA is an anticipated carcinogen, action by the FDA has yet to come. According to the FDA, BHA is “generally recognized as safe.” I’d love for that phrase to be further dissected.

Titanium Dioxide:

The next chemical mentioned—titanium dioxide, is banned in the EU because of its ability to accumulate in the body and alter DNA, yet it’s still allowed here in the U.S. Once again the FDA insists that it’s safe to be used in foods.

Propylparaben and Potassium Bromate:

Propylparaben and potassium bromate have been banned from food in California, China, and the EU due to their associations with cancer and damage to the body’s reproductive and hormone systems.

Perchlorate:

Perchlorate is a chemical used in food packaging despite its ability to interfere with the thyroid’s capacity to absorb iodine—a much-needed micronutrient for optimal health. Perchlorate causes the most harm to young children and fetuses because their brains are still developing at this time, making iodine levels that much more important.

Phthalates:

Lastly, the EWG article mentions phthalates because of the sound evidence linking them to birth defects, infertility, and other harms involving the development of children and their major organs. Knowing this, the FDA still refuses to reevaluate the safety of phthalates in food packaging, let alone move forward with a ban.

Closing Information:

Some more concerning information— the FDA allows chemical companies to make decisions on the safety of food chemicals. Like, what the hell do you think they’re gonna say? EWG also noted that 99 percent of food chemicals developed after 2000 have been reviewed for safety by “industry scientists” rather than the FDA. This basically means they work for the corporations producing the food products, and therefore, they’ll say whatever they need to about the chemicals to make the most money. Cheap production of food, so the rich get richer. Even when the FDA does review chemicals first, rarely do they get reviewed again in light of new research. For instance, it’s been nearly 50 years since potassium bromate and propylparaben have been reviewed for safety.

Apparently, the EPA has to review pesticides every 15 years. It seems that similar requirements would increase the effectiveness of the FDA, too.

While some of this information may be disheartening, just know there are things you can do to limit your intake of these chemicals. On the EWG website, they have a lot of helpful resources, such as the Food Scores Database that can help you find products free of the aforementioned chemicals. The EWG and Yuka app both scan food products as well so you can make yourself an informed consumer. Lastly choosing certified organic foods, if possible can help you avoid these compounds because this title requires foods to meet certain requirements that ensure their safety for consumers.

As Americans, a lot of this is unfortunately out of our control. This is a reminder to do what you can to make healthy decisions for yourself without overanalyzing things too much. I’d love to see the day when the FDA is more accountable, productive, and organized, but things don’t look great. To end on a positive note though, I hope the rest of your day is all you want it to be and more.

See you next week. 😉