The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is facing pressure to remove four known carcinogens from food, as a coalition of environmental and health organizations has filed petitions calling for the rescission of FDA approvals for these harmful chemicals. The organizations behind the petitions include the Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Environmental Working Group (EWG), and Lisa Lefferts, an environmental health consultant.
The FDA's current approval of these carcinogens in food additives has drawn criticism from experts in the field. Maria Doa, Senior Director for Chemicals Policy at Environmental Defense Fund, stated, "FDA has been disregarding the law by permitting these long-established carcinogens to be added to food." Lisa Lefferts, a scientist and coauthor of the petition, added, "The Food and Drug Administration should have prohibited these uses decades ago."
The four carcinogens in question are benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), methylene chloride, and ethylene dichloride. These chemicals have been found to cause multiple forms of cancer, including liver, kidney, lung, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. They are currently allowed in various food uses such as decaffeinated coffee, certain spice extracts used for taste and coloring, hops extracts, and ink used to mark produce.
The FDA's approval of these chemicals as food additives contradicts the law, which clearly states that substances inducing cancer in humans or animals cannot be deemed "safe" for use in food. In fact, studies conducted by FDA's sister agencies, the National Cancer Institute and the National Toxicology Program, have found that these chemicals are carcinogenic. The continued approval of these substances raises concerns about public health and the FDA's oversight of chemicals added to the food supply.
The potential harm caused by these carcinogens extends beyond cancer. They have been linked to fetal cardiac malformations, developmental effects, decreased blood cell counts, and damage to the kidney and liver. Pregnant individuals and developing fetuses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of these chemicals.
In 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to eliminate most uses of TCE and methylene chloride due to their cancer risks. However, the FDA's regulations under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act still permit their use in food. This discrepancy highlights the need for consistent and comprehensive regulation of these harmful substances.
The coalition of organizations behind the petitions is calling on the FDA to take immediate action to protect public health. Sue Chiang, Food Program Director at the Center for Environmental Health, emphasized the broader impact of allowing cancer-causing chemicals in food, stating, "Allowing cancer-causing chemicals in our food doesn't just impact consumers' health, it also impacts the health of communities and workers who manufacture, store, and transport these chemicals."
Scott Faber, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs for EWG, sees this as a crucial test for the FDA's commitment to chemical safety. He stated, "Banning these cancer-causing solvents is an important test of FDA's new-found commitment to making chemical safety a priority." Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Manager from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, added, "It's way past time for the FDA to protect the public from chemicals that increase our risk of cancer and other serious health problems."
The FDA's response to these petitions will be closely watched by both the organizations that filed them and the public. The elimination of these cancer-causing chemicals from the food supply is a necessary step in safeguarding public health and ensuring the FDA's commitment to chemical safety.
For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.edf.org/media/petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-four-cancer-causing-chemicals-food-1
