Regulator looks to expand loophole to allow dangerous compounds in food as long as they’re not carcinogenic
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to expand a controversial loophole to allow some of the world’s most toxic chemicals to be added directly to food without a safety review.
The “threshold of regulation” (TOR) exemption currently allows dangerous compounds to be used without review in food contact materials, such as packaging or processing equipment, if they are not carcinogenic, and are added at levels below 0.5 parts per billion (ppb).
But campaigners say many chemicals, especially hormone disruptors linked to brain damage and reproductive harm in children, are considered dangerous at levels far below 0.5ppb. Even in its limited form, the loophole has already raised alarm. One TOR exemption that allows the rocket fuel chemical perchlorate to be used in grain bags dramatically increased the amount of the compound found in kids’ cereal, which advocates say could cause brain damage.
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It should be a rule that cabinet members of the government and leadership of oversight agencies are obligated to partake in the products. If they don’t, they lose their job.
Minuscule amounts of toxic materials can evade the immune system & bio-accumulate to ill effect
toxic chemicals, it’s what plants crave.
Trust the woowoo people to have 0 consistency and even less math.
Clearly aren’t believers in homeopathy. Unless they’re thinking that more has less effect…
Make America Hospitalized Again
Seems like the plan. Keep Americans in debt
Pretty soon the FDA will just grind “food” into white powder that can be snorted from toilet seats…for safety.
I’m pregnant… yay… toxic chems for the baby!
Why would you need to use perchlorate in a grain bag?
Search says it’s an anti-static agent.
Thanks. I couldn’t find anything when I searched. I doubt this is the only chemical they could use for that. It’s always about money — like what’s cheapest, or what’s subsidized. Sad sad sad.
Kids get some cancer, so shareholders can get more money. Equivalent exchange or whatever.
But MAHA though right?
Republican eugenics.
What is up with the Guardian and initialisms? “FDA,” “TOR,” “BASF” and “EDF” are all caps, but “generally recognized as safe” is just “Gras” now? “Maha” instead of “MAHA?” I don’t get it.
Those of us who are not american can read this. And you folks get angry when our governments, food organisations and consumers refuse to buy your food exports.
The only people that are angry about that are the idiots and supporters to those idiots. Any rational person understands, and many of us support the decision with gumption.
Those of us that are paying attention, totally get it - I wouldn’t want to buy our gross food either!
Nope, never angry about that. Jealous, but not angry.
you folks get angry when our governments, food organisations and consumers refuse to buy your food
Pundits and politicians sometimes make a fuss. Maybe some massively rich agribusiness jackasses are annoyed. I don’t think very many real people get angry.
You might say that this outrage is one of our inorganic exports.
Having 1 food item per week turn out to be toxic/dangerous in some way is rookie numbers–soon enough we’ll have daily food advisory warnings! You’ll never eat safely again! 🥹
Damn, if I were living in the US, I’d start to seriously consider growing my own food, perhaps together with friends and family. It’s getting worse and worse.
Was the fall of Rome this quick?
Which one? Rome fell like five times before it was finally killed. The western Roman Empire, The Kingdom of the Romans in France, The Fourth Crusade, The Fall of Constantinople, and the conquest of Trebizond. Most of these were pretty quick and roughly comparable to the US if you start with Reagan.
Start with Reagan and we’re at what point in history by comparison?
Either crises of the third century or the reign of Romulus Augustulus before Italy was conquered. It’s very much a reform or fall type of situation.
should really be nixon if you want to be accurate
They have AI to help this time.
