U.S. FDA’s criticized for flawed chemical safety reevaluation regime

Since 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has permitted chemical companies to determine the safety of the majority of food compounds. However, the FDA does not reevaluate previous decisions, even when new evidence of their adverse health effects is discovered. 

The FDA does not require periodic safety reviews of food additives, resulting in the overwhelming majority of food additives not being evaluated for decades. Some chemicals, such as potassium bromate and propylparaben, have been linked to cancer and immune system damage, despite repeated assurances of safety evaluations. Concerning is the FDA's slow response to petitions for safety evaluations.

All senior food safety leaders have resigned, and Congress has denied the FDA's request for more funding, which has slowed the FDA's reorganization of the food safety program. Consumers can use EWG's Food Scores to avoid chemicals of concern, and states should not wait to ban the most dangerous food additives, as proposed by California legislators.