The Danish Ministry of the Environment has stated that the government intends to pressure the European Commission to phase out certain phthalates—including BBP, DEHP, DBP, and DIBP, which are used to soften plastics such as food containers—after the European Court of Justice found that Denmark’s proposed ban on them conflicts with EU regulations. Environment Minister Kirsten Brosbøl said, “I’m putting pressure on the Commission to speed up assessment and regulation of these substances in the EU. I haven’t given up on the ban or other regulation on phthalates, and therefore I’ve asked the Danish EPA to look into whether there is a new basis for Danish phthalate regulations, if the assessment by the European Chemicals Agency does not result in common EU regulations.” According to Brosbøl, the ministry will step up efforts to educate consumers “about products containing harmful chemistry and increase the use of the Nordic Ecolabel on products…
Category Archives Issue 529
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recently issued a draft “Carbohydrates and Health” report urging Public Health England (PHE) to halve the current population guidelines for added sugar intake. An independent expert panel that advises government agencies on nutrition and dietary matters, SACN created a Carbohydrates Working Group at the request of the U.K. Food Standards Agency and Department of Health to clarify “the relationship between dietary carbohydrates and health.” To this end, the working group reviewed scientific literature on “the terminology, classification and definitions of types of carbohydrates in the diet,” as well as evidence concerning the effects of dietary carbohydrates on oral, colorectal and cardiovascular health. After analyzing 225 prospective cohort studies and 403 randomized controlled trials, the working group concluded that although “total carbohydrate intake appears to be neither detrimental nor beneficial to cardio-metabolic health and colorectal health,” the consumption of added sugars increases energy intake…
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) has published a draft scientific opinion on acrylamide (AA) in food that urges the further reduction of dietary exposure to the substance. According to the draft opinion, AA is formed when the sugars and amino acids in carbohydrate-rich foods—such as coffee, fried potato products, cookies, crackers, bread, and some baby foods—undergo a Maillard reaction during high-temperature cooking. Animal studies have allegedly linked AA consumption to an increased risk of certain cancers, although the panel noted that the substance’s effects on the nervous system, pre- and post-natal development, and male reproduction are not considered a concern based on current exposure levels. To estimate human dietary exposure to AA, the CONTAM Panel analyzed 43,419 results collected since 2010 by 24 EU member states and six food associations. The findings evidently showed that infants, toddlers and other children…
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) representatives are slated to present findings of the agency’s analysis of more than 200 foods containing Class III and Class IV caramels for 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), a chemical byproduct of manufacturing processes, during the American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition, August 10-14, 2014, in San Francisco, California. According to the session abstract, FDA’s analysis estimated dietary exposure to 4-MEI for six U.S. populations: infants younger than age 1; 1-year-olds; children ages 2 and older; children ages 2 to 5; children ages 6 to 12; and teenage boys ages 12 to 18. Consumer Reports has urged the agency to set standards for 4-MEI in foods and called on manufacturers to disclose the types of caramel color in their products so that consumers can avoid 4-MEI. The compound was added to California’s Proposition 65 list of substances known to the state to cause cancer in 2011 based…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Food Safety and the Agricultural Marketing Service have announced an August 12, 2014, public meeting in Washington, D.C., to provide information and discuss draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables slated for September 8-12 in Philadelphia. Agenda items include draft standards and proposed draft annexes for certain canned fruits and quick frozen vegetables as well as a proposed draft standard for ginseng products. See Federal Register, July 8, 2014. Issue 529
Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) have introduced legislation that would ban the synthetic compound bisphenol A (BPA) from food and beverage containers, citing research reportedly linking BPA to a variety of health problems. In addition, the companion bills would authorize the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant one-year waivers from the provisions so long as the manufacturers begin labeling products that contain BPA. “The Ban Poisonous Additives Act will help ensure that our factories and our entire food supply are free from this damaging chemical,” Markey said. “It’s time to ban BPA and move to safer alternatives.” See Law360, July 9, 2014. Issue 529
A California Assembly committee has voted 8-7 against a bill (S.B. 1000), passed in May 2014 by the Senate, to require warnings on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) alerting consumers that “[d]rinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.” Those on the Assembly Health Committee opposing the measure were apparently concerned that it singled out a single industry and children would not necessarily read the label. Industry advocates reportedly called the proposal unfair, because it would have required warnings on SSBs containing 75 calories while allowing higher calorie foods to be sold without them. Bill sponsor Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), who also introduced unsuccessful legislation that would have imposed a tax on soft drinks, was quoted as saying, “I remain committed to pursuing this issue and being part of a broad public health campaign to educate communities about the proven health risks of sugary drinks.” See Reuters,…
