Dear Readers,

With over 10,000 additives allowed in our food, are you confident FDA is ensuring the safety of these additives?

If your answer is no, you are not alone. Center for Food Safety (CFS) is gravely concerned about the safety of food additives and the integrity of the process for approval of food additives. Because of this, CFS’s food safety program is considering taking some new actions, and we need your help!

Currently CFS is focusing on substances allowed in:

- infant formula, such as “probiotics” or “DHA”

- the fungus-based meat substitute Quorn

- any products containing Olestra

If you or your family have purchased or consumed any of these substances, we need your help! Please email office@centerforfoodsafety.orgor call 415-826-2770 to learn more.

Background
Typically, before a new additive can be used in food, the safety of that additive must be demonstrated and approved by FDA.  But FDA does not review the safety of additives that are “generally recognized as safe,” or “GRAS.” Historically, in order for an additive to be considered GRAS, the manufacturer had to petition FDA, demonstrate that there was general scientific agreement about the additive’s safety, and provide to FDA all backup information supporting the petition. Unfortunately this is no longer the case.  

Now, manufacturers merely notify FDA that they believe an additive is GRAS. The manufacturer is allowed to use that additive without FDA’s affirmative approval. FDA no longer conducts its own detailed analysis to evaluate the data and no longer confirms that a particular additive is GRAS. This falls far short of what is required of the agency tasked with keeping harmful food additives out of our food supply.    

We’d like to hear from you if you or your family has purchased or consumed three of the additives that were approved under this simplified notification process: Quorn, Olestra, or infant formula with probiotics or “DHA.”

Thank you,
Center for Food Safety