WASHINGTON – Today Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) reintroduced legislation to ensure the safety of food chemicals by closing regulatory loopholes.
The following is a statement from Jessica Hernandez, policy director for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group:
EWG applauds the reintroduction of the Toxic Free Food Act, which aims to protect the public from toxic food additives. It would close loopholes in the Food and Drug Administration process for reviewing the safety of food chemicals.
For too long, food companies, not the FDA, have been allowed to determine the safety of 99 percent of new chemicals used in the food we eat every day. It’s been decades since the FDA last reviewed the safety of many of these chemicals.
This bill puts the FDA back in charge of food safety by closing the “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, loophole and making the industry’s chemical food additives subject to FDA approval.
EWG applauds the leadership of DeLauro for making food safety and public health a priority.
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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
