And model it's replacement after the European Food Safety Authority?

I realize that there are a lot of food industry lobbyists that would never let that happen, but I was reading a CNN article about abodicarbonamide in bread, and how the EU's food authority doesn't allow it in their food. It made me think of all of the other things that they don't allow and the FDA does. I wonder if there are some things that the FDA bans and the EU's food authority allows.

CNN article:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/06/health/subway-bread-chemical/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Another product is aspartame. The EFSA seems to have done more studies that conclude it is carcinogenic, while the FDA still seems to stand by their own research that it isn't.

If anyone knows of any other instances where the EFSA has banned things that the FDA hasn't, or vice versa, please mention it here. Any food scientists out there that can support the FDA? Just based on my ignorant view of things, they are backed by lobbyists.

[Edited on February 7, 2014 at 7:39 AM. Reason : dsa]

2/7/2014 7:39:10 AM

I'm definitely in favor of this on the regulation side, although I think I've read that the FDA's inspection and enforcement side is better than the EU's (I don't know much about EU enforcement, except that horse meat is in everything). The FDA doesn't really do much of their own studies and investigation, it mostly just reviews whatever industry gives them.

2/7/2014 7:43:24 AM

If he improve the FDA with a new agency Subway can't put wood pulp in my cheese anymore

2/7/2014 8:06:44 AM

The FDA banned L-tryptophan around the time that Prozac hit the market, which is insane when you consider that L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid.

2/7/2014 10:14:58 AM

The FDA banned L-Tryptophan because of this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eosinophilia-myalgia_syndrome. It is now not banned. I actually worked at a plant that produced that amino acid after it was ok'ed for production again.

So not really that insane

[Edited on February 7, 2014 at 7:31 PM. Reason : ed]

2/7/2014 7:30:04 PM

Worked in biotech for 12 years ...Just like any government agency, FDA is not perfect and it probably has its share of corrupt employees. For the most part it does its job. People that aren't directly working with the agency usually don't know how much work and testing is involved to approve a new drug. FDA is quite demanding in seeing safety and efficacy of new products among ton of other things. Sensationalist articles in the media often exacerbate unfounded hatred that's usually fueled by few bad journalistic apples who don't have industry knowledge or science background.

With respect to aspartame or any other controversial additive... FDA is not just going to revert their approval decision unless new studies are done in methodical way that adhere to current clinical trial practices. The fact that aspartame is approved is something over 70 countries shows that it had to go through rigor of foreign regulatory agencies, some of which may be stricter in some ways than FDA.

For the record, AS MUCH AS I CAN, I try to stay away from aspartame, BPA, mercury, HFCS, MSG, GMO, non-organic produce...etc. With no real data on long term effects, it is relatively cheap insurance to go with SOMEWHAT healthier food even though I think there is a lot of scam and gray areas in organic certification process.

2/7/2014 9:55:37 PM

I'm surprised that manufacturers of substances marketed like and acting like drugs (mostly "herbal supplements") don't need FDA approval, just this disclaimer: http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Quack_Miranda_Warning

2/8/2014 4:21:49 PM

you can thank Orrin Hatch for that one. I, for one, am a huge proponent of the natural supplement loophole as it prevents the FDA from having too much control over us as consumers.

2/8/2014 8:26:32 PM

For what it is worth...

http://www.policymic.com/articles/81435/these-5-disgusting-ingredients-were-approved-for-your-consumption-by-the-fda

ibtihatetheargumentthatafoodadditiveisbadbecauseitisalsofoundinsoandsononfoodproducts

2/8/2014 9:08:40 PM

i hate articles like that...

Quote :

"Why is it gross? This petroleum-based food additive is also found in brake fluid, acrylic paints, tile grout, primer, shoe polish, floor polish and is a main ingredient in antifreeze. "

who cares what else something is found in? poop has water in it. does that make other things with water in them gross?

2/8/2014 10:00:56 PM

Water is naturally found in food, those things are not.

2/8/2014 10:18:14 PM

I'm not really concerned by what the FDA does approve. I'm more concerned by how insanely long it takes them to approve simple things, like sucralose. Canada was approved to use it almost a decade before we got the green light.

2/8/2014 11:44:31 PM

What about nitrates? There have been quite a few studies that show nitrates lead to cancers such as colorectal. I realize the meat packing industry would lose their shit over this, but we don't have to have them in bacon, hotdogs and sandwich meat.

2/9/2014 9:55:44 AM

That would be nitrites, and yup, they have been conclusively shown to increase the risk of stomach cancer.

Here is a list, but I haven't cross-checked them yet:

2/9/2014 10:27:29 AM

I think we all know and agree these additives are in general not something you want in your body. FWIW, the amounts added are regulated based on at least some studies.

The hard truth is that world food prices would shot through the roof if preservatives were all out banned. Shelf life would be decreased to the point that by the time you transport the food it would spoil. Considering the increase in world population ....GMO foods, preservatives are an evil necessity. I'd rather eat additive laden food than be hungry. Just ask the guys in the red areas...



If you want to eat healthy you can, just have to educated yourself and be prepared to spend more.

2/9/2014 3:41:57 PM

Quote :

"That would be nitrites, and yup, they have been conclusively shown to increase the risk of stomach cancer."

Actually no, but they have been conclusively shown to nearly eliminate the risk of botulism festering in packaged foods: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/seasoningflavoring/a/nitrates.htm

2/9/2014 7:26:06 PM

Can we stop mentioning GMO foods like they are a health risk?

2/9/2014 8:49:28 PM

^holy shit i agree with something he said

2/9/2014 9:42:57 PM

map is invalid

there is mongolian beef

2/9/2014 11:20:55 PM

And the starving children want to know:

Where's the mongolian beef?

[Edited on February 10, 2014 at 10:13 AM. Reason : I'll show myself out]

2/10/2014 10:12:43 AM

CNN must really hate the FDA...they just ran another article on 7 other additives that are pseudo-carcinogenic/bad for you.

Food dyes
BHA
BHT
Nitrates, which we've already discussed
A couple others I've never heard of.

2/10/2014 2:37:14 PM