Food producers are trying to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to Illinois.
They’re fighting a much-needed bill to get five harmful chemicals out of popular treats we eat every day while failing to prove the safety of these toxic ingredients. And don’t think their efforts stop at cake — these chemicals also lurk in soda, chips, bread, frozen meals and much more.
Passing Senate Bill 2637, the Illinois Food Safety Act, would be an important victory for Illinois residents, and with no disruption to the food and drinks they enjoy. The bill would ban potassium bromate, propyl paraben, brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, Red Dye No. 3. and titanium dioxide from food sold and manufactured in the state.
Toxic chemicals in food remain a top concern for consumers, especially in foods marketed to children. And with good reason.
Thousands of chemicals are allowed for use in food sold in the U.S. And nearly 99% of those chemicals introduced since 2000 were approved by the food and chemical industry, not the Food and Drug Administration. Some of these food chemicals have been linked to serious health harms, from lower IQ to cancer.
Time and again, the FDA has failed to act when it comes to regulating potentially harmful food ingredients. In the absence of federal action, states have no choice but to protect their consumers from harmful food chemicals.
Consider a similar law just enacted in California, another trend-setting state for public health protections. In response to California’s law, companies have already begun to reformulate their products to remove problematic ingredients, with no impact on consumers.
Or look at the healthier options offered in Europe, where all five food chemicals in the Illinois bill were banned after public health officials thoroughly reevaluated food additives’ safety.
Unlike California and the EU, the FDA has not rigorously assessed the safety of any of the chemicals included in the Illinois food bill, despite recent studies raising serious health concerns.
Take BVO. The FDA knew this food additive may harm health as early as 1970, when the agency first announced it was removing its “generally recognized as safe” designation. But BVO was allowed to remain in use — at the request of food manufacturers.
In 2012, a teen started an online petition calling on Gatorade to remove BVO from sports drinks. It received over 200,000 signatures and brought the potential health hazards of BVO into the spotlight. This caused many brands, but not all, to remove it from their products.
Pesticides have to be reviewed for safety every 15 years to reflect new science. Unfortunately, the FDA does not reevaluate the safety of food chemicals once they are allowed on the market. Some food chemicals have not been reviewed by the FDA for more than 50 years, if ever.
Until the FDA begins taking action, states should step up and protect their consumers from these toxic food chemicals. The good news is that alternatives are available to food companies, and the cost of changing recipes is negligible. How do we know? Because the same companies are making the products in other countries.
So, don’t believe food manufacturers when they say you’ll never be able to buy Skittles or other snacks if the Illinois Food Safety Act becomes law. You’ll still find all your favorite items on store shelves. They’ll just be better for your health.
Scott Faber is senior vice president for the Environmental Working Group and a former food industry executive.
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