EWG: “Thousands of everyday food products potentially could contain substances that carry unknown health risks, a new EWG analysis finds.  Although Congress intended for most food chemicals to be rigorously reviewed before being introduced into the market, the reality of food chemical review is far different. A flood of unregulated and potentially unsafe substances have been allowed in many products Americans eat. Chemical and food manufacturers have rubber-stamped at least 111 food chemicals for use in numerous products, from cereal to snack bars, sports drinks and more. Presence on the list of 111 food chemicals EWG identified does not mean a substance is harmful. But food companies have made their own safety determinations about these chemicals, without notifying the Food and Drug Administration and often while keeping details about their safety a secret, according to the analysis. Of the 111 substances identified in the report, 49 chemicals are listed as ingredients in thousands of food products in the Branded Foods Database, a global compendium of food products and their ingredients maintained by the Agriculture Department, based on label data provided by commercial food brands.

The analysis reveals how food and chemical companies have exploited a loophole in federal law in order to certify that their own new additives are “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS. These chemicals are sometimes referred to as “secret GRAS,” because companies determined their safety without notifying the FDA. This is completely legal. For consumers, this means a wide range of popular food and drink items may contain chemicals the government has never reviewed for safety. Any potential health risks of these secret GRAS chemicals may be known only to the companies that make them…”