Environmental Working Group Calls for FDA to Review Safety of Food Chemicals

Strategic Insights -

The Environmental Working Group has applauded the reintroduction of a House bill that requires the Food and Drug Administration to review the safety of food chemicals. The Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025, introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), aims to ensure the safety of chemicals that have entered the food supply chain through loopholes or have not been reviewed in decades. The bill also calls for immediate FDA reassessment of 18 chemicals added to food or food packaging.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Environmental Working Group supports the reintroduction of the House bill that requires the FDA to review the safety of food chemicals, ensuring they have not been properly reviewed for safety or have not been looked at in decades.
  • The bill specifies 18 chemicals that require immediate FDA reassessment, including perchlorate, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, TBHQ, titanium dioxide, and benzene.
  • Thousands of chemicals are added to food and food packaging annually, with many having never been meaningfully reviewed by the FDA, while others have been reviewed using outdated science.
  • The bill re-establishes a Food Advisory Council to advise the FDA on the best methods to review the safety of food chemicals, prioritizing public health.
  • Many of the chemicals identified for review have been linked to health concerns, such as harm to the immune system, DNA damage, and neurological harm.

Statistics:

  • There are thousands of chemicals added to food and food packaging annually.
  • The FDA has not meaningfully reviewed the safety of many of these chemicals in decades.
  • 18 chemicals have been identified for immediate FDA reassessment, including perchlorate, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, TBHQ, titanium dioxide, and benzene.
  • These chemicals have been linked to health concerns such as harm to the immune system, DNA damage, and neurological harm.

Sources:

  • The Environmental Working Group (EWG): A nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment.
  • The Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025: Introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) to require the FDA to review the safety of food chemicals.