Food Chemical Regulations Rely Heavily on Industry Self-Policing and Lack Transparency

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=85899365607

Food Chemical Regulations Rely Heavily on Industry Self-Policing and Lack Transparency

Contact: Colin Finan, 202.552.2272, [e-mail]

Washington, DC - 10/26/2011 - Safety decisions concerning one-third of the more than 10,000 substances that may be added to human food were made by food manufacturers and a trade association without review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to an analysis spearheaded by the Pew Health Group.

The report, published today in the peer-reviewed journal http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/crf3.2011.10.issue-6/issuetoc">Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, illustrates potential problems with the U.S. food additive regulatory program.

“Congress established our food additive regulatory program more than 50 years ago, and it does not stand up well to scrutiny based on today’s standards of science and public transparency,” said Tom Neltner, http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_detail.aspx?id=1203">Food Additives Project director in the Pew Health Group.

The research also found that the FDA developed an expedited process in the mid-1990’s that essentially eliminated the opportunity for public involvement in decision making prior to FDA’s safety determination. This shift doubled the rate of industry requests for FDA review. In contrast, standard operating procedure for other federal regulatory decisions regarding drug, workplace, and environmental safety requires public notice and an opportunity to comment.

…

[HuckleB]

1. Recommended.