Americans may be unwittingly exposed to carcinogens and harmful chemicals in their food because of lax food ingredient laws
It might surprise many Americans that food manufacturers are technically allowed to infuse products with additives that are banned in many parts of the world because they come with some significant health risks such as a higher liklihood of cancer or lower ***** counts affecting fertility.
Potassium bromate, for instance, is ubiquitous in many store-bought breads. But it can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs and cause shortness of breath and wheezing.
Despite being banned in the European Union, Canada, and Brazil over evidence that it can cause cancer in animals, US-made foods can still contain the compound.
Companies are able to infuse their products with thousands of additives with relative impunity thanks to a Food and Drug Administration loophole that allows them to determine for themselves that an ingredient used is generally safe.
The ‘generally recognized as safe’ — or GRAS — designation was created with common ingredients with well-established safety profiles like table salt and vinegar in mind.
It allowed manufacturers to bypass the FDA’s lengthy safety review process in order to get their products on shelves quicker. But over time, the food industry has taken advantage of this workaround to push additives with known and unknown health effects.
Potassium bromate
Despite being banned in the European Union, Canada, and Brazil over evidence that it can cause cancer in animals, US-made foods such as breads and doughs can still contain the compound
The chemical compound is commonly found in bread for sale in the US.
It is used as an oxidizing agent added to the dough to make it springer, stronger, and promote rising.
But it has also been shown to cause nose, throat, and lung irritation, as well as cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Potassium bromate has been banned from human consumption in Europe, China, and India because it is a suspected carcinogen. In lab tests, the compound KBrO3 caused renal and thyroid tumors to form in ****.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which keeps tabs on food additives, more than 130 products on store shelves contain KBrO3, including a wide range of bread and dough.
The food industry has long argued it is safe to use because, during cooking, the powder is converted into potassium bromide, a non-carcinogen. Tests in the UK back in 1994 showed that potassium bromate remains in foods even after cooking.
Titanium dioxide (E171)
Titanium dioxide, also referred to as E171, has been banned from food in Europe, though it is still widely used in the US as a whitening agent for candies, pastries, and gum
Titanium dioxide, also referred to as E171, has been banned from being added to food across Europe but it is still widely used in the US as a whitening agent for candies and pastries.
Crowd favorites Skittles, Starbursts, and other candies all contain the chemical compound, the EWG said.
The FDA maintains that concentrations of the substance in US food is safe, though the American Chemistry Council (ACC), an industry body representing US chemical companies, said a more thorough probe needs to be carried out.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as a Group 2B carcinogen that could potentially pose a threat to humans when inhaled.
The designation was based on limited evidence showing that high concentrations of powdered and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in **** exposed by inhalation.
Still, the bulk of research concludes that the amount consumed, from food is so low that it poses no threat to human health.
Americans may be unwittingly exposed to carcinogens and harmful chemicals in their food because of lax food ingredient laws
It might surprise many Americans that food manufacturers are technically allowed to infuse products with additives that are banned in many parts of the world because they come with some significant health risks such as a higher liklihood of cancer or lower ***** counts affecting fertility.
Potassium bromate, for instance, is ubiquitous in many store-bought breads. But it can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs and cause shortness of breath and wheezing.
Despite being banned in the European Union, Canada, and Brazil over evidence that it can cause cancer in animals, US-made foods can still contain the compound.
Companies are able to infuse their products with thousands of additives with relative impunity thanks to a Food and Drug Administration loophole that allows them to determine for themselves that an ingredient used is generally safe.
The ‘generally recognized as safe’ — or GRAS — designation was created with common ingredients with well-established safety profiles like table salt and vinegar in mind.
It allowed manufacturers to bypass the FDA’s lengthy safety review process in order to get their products on shelves quicker. But over time, the food industry has taken advantage of this workaround to push additives with known and unknown health effects.
Potassium bromate
Despite being banned in the European Union, Canada, and Brazil over evidence that it can cause cancer in animals, US-made foods such as breads and doughs can still contain the compound
The chemical compound is commonly found in bread for sale in the US.
It is used as an oxidizing agent added to the dough to make it springer, stronger, and promote rising.
But it has also been shown to cause nose, throat, and lung irritation, as well as cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Potassium bromate has been banned from human consumption in Europe, China, and India because it is a suspected carcinogen. In lab tests, the compound KBrO3 caused renal and thyroid tumors to form in ****.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which keeps tabs on food additives, more than 130 products on store shelves contain KBrO3, including a wide range of bread and dough.
The food industry has long argued it is safe to use because, during cooking, the powder is converted into potassium bromide, a non-carcinogen. Tests in the UK back in 1994 showed that potassium bromate remains in foods even after cooking.
Titanium dioxide (E171)
Titanium dioxide, also referred to as E171, has been banned from food in Europe, though it is still widely used in the US as a whitening agent for candies, pastries, and gum
Titanium dioxide, also referred to as E171, has been banned from being added to food across Europe but it is still widely used in the US as a whitening agent for candies and pastries.
Crowd favorites Skittles, Starbursts, and other candies all contain the chemical compound, the EWG said.
The FDA maintains that concentrations of the substance in US food is safe, though the American Chemistry Council (ACC), an industry body representing US chemical companies, said a more thorough probe needs to be carried out.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as a Group 2B carcinogen that could potentially pose a threat to humans when inhaled.
The designation was based on limited evidence showing that high concentrations of powdered and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in **** exposed by inhalation.
Still, the bulk of research concludes that the amount consumed, from food is so low that it poses no threat to human health.
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