Mother's Guide to Hazardous Household Substances

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Food

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) looks after the safety of our food and pharmaceuticals. Its legal basis is the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938—backed up by subsequent additions, including the Pesticide Chemicals Act of 1954, the Food Additives Amendment of 1958, and the Color Additives Amendment of 1960. For good reason, food is the most regulated of all consumer products, but the extent of protection may not be as great as you think.

Before an additive may be used in food, it must be demonstrated to be safe. The testing, however, is conducted by the industry that proposes to sell it, not by the FDA. Furthermore, there's a loophole in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act's mandate for safety: Dangerous substances are prohibited from being added to food . . . except where they are "unavoidable" or "necessary in production" and are used in small enough doses that no apparent hazard is presented to test animals. As you can see, the mandate for safety is hazy.

With the later amendments to the 1938 legislation, an important section called the Delaney Clause was added. This regulation prohibits the use of any additive that has been found to induce cancer in animals or humans. The Delaney Clause was fought by the FDA, the American Medical Association (AMA), and the food industry. Their argument, of course, was that the stipulation of "no risk" is excessively restrictive: In their view, the benefits of some additives outweigh the hazards. Twenty-five years after its inception, the Delaney Clause is still under attack. Separate amendments proposed to Congress in October of 1983—by Orrin Hatch of Utah in the Senate and Edgar Madigan of Illinois in the House—have, with the help of heavy lobbying from the plastics, meat, and soft drink industries, attempted to strike down or replace the Delaney Clause. (If you plan to write to your representative to express your opinion about such changes to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the pieces of legislation referred to are Senate bill S. 1938 and House bill H.R. 4121.)

Under the Food Additives Amendment of 1958, additives that were used previous to that time and that showed no evidence of harm were permanently listed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). Only substances added to the list after the year of the amendment's enactment were to be tested. During his administration, President Nixon ordered the FDA to conduct research on all food additives. This work has been going on since 1970 and is not yet completed, but periodic updates are made to the GRAS list. Items are classified as [I] demonstrated to be safe, [II] safe at present consumption levels, [III] the question of safety requires further study, [IV] evidence of hazard, and [V] not enough data. Nearly all of the additives that are listed below fall into categories III, IV, or V.

Food products have the most adequate labeling requirements of all the consumer goods that we're examining in this mini-manual. Each constituent used to formulate the product must be listed on the label in descending order of its percentage of the whole.

There are, however, a number of exemptions that "streamline" labeling. For one, "incidental" compounds used to process a food, such as flour bleaches, need not be listed . . . because they aren't pres ent in the final product at more than trace levels. This disregards the fact that the processing chemicals may alter the nutritional value of food significantly.

There are also a number of "standardized" products that don't require labeling as long as their makeups are within the guidelines of the 20 or so additives allowed by the FDA. Dairy products provide examples of standardized nonlabeling. Manufacturers are also allowed to use general descriptions, such as "preservative", "antioxidant", "sweetener", "artificial flavor", and so on. Without the specific name, we have no way of knowing whether or not the compound used is one about which we should be concerned.

For further information on food additives, consult A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1978, $4.95) or The Food Additives Book by Nicholas Freydberg and Willis A. Gortner (Bantam Books, Inc., 1982, $9.95).

Preservatives/Antioxidants


BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole): A compound used to prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid.

—Hazards: Enlarges the livers and kidneys of test animals. May cause enzyme changes that make the body more susceptible to cancer or that affect reproduction.

—Found mainly in: Baked goods, beverages, breakfast cereals, candy, chew ing gum, gelatins, ice cream, potato chips, shortening, and vegetable oils.

BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene): Similar to BHA.

—Hazards: Same effects as BHA but at lower concentrations in rodents and dogs; higher concentrations required to produce effects in monkeys.

—Found mainly in: The same products as BHA.

Calcium disodium EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetate): Binds a number of minerals that can cause oxidation.

—Hazards: Can contribute to zinc deficiency. May cause errors in laboratory measurements. Sensitizes people with allergies and asthma. May have a synergistic effect with BHA/BHT. A suspected teratogen.

—Found mainly in: Canned crab, carbonated beverages, condiments, fruit drinks, margarine, processed fruits and vegetables, and salad dressings.

Nitrites, nitrates: Used to inhibit botulism-causing microorganisms; also used to improve color and flavoring.

—Hazards: May combine with amines to form nitrosamines, some of which cause cancer at low levels of concentration. Can inhibit the ability of blood (D to carry oxygen, especially in infants. Some forms affect fertility, reduce prenatal growth, and increase prenatal mortality. Used in forms bound with sodium, which has been shown to increase blood pressure.

—Found mainly in: Processed meats—such as bacon, corned beef, ham, hotdogs, luncheon meat, and sausage—and smoked fish and poultry.

Sulfiting agents: Potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, and sulfur dioxide are used to bleach and preserve, to prevent browning, and to sterilize.

—Hazards: People with allergies or asthma may have severe reactions. Can cause vitamin B, and E deficiencies.

—Found mainly in: Fresh and processed vegetables, wine.

Emulsifiers/Stabilizers

Aspergillus enzyme: Used in processes requiring enzymatic reaction.

— Hazards: Minimal data, but it may be metabolized into a carcinogenic substance.

—Found mainly in: Baked goods and cheese.

Baking powder: Used as a leavening agent in baked goods.
—Hazards: Contains aluminum, which has been associated with Alzheimer's disease, a form of senility.

BVO (brominated vegetable oil): Used to stabilize flavoring oils. Derived from corn, cottonseed, olive, sesame, and/or soybean oils.

—Hazards: Has caused damage to the hearts and livers of test animals and has increased fat deposits in their livers and kidneys; some forms have brought on testicular changes, reduced growth, and produced lethargy. Deleted from GRAS but still lawful for use.

—Found mainly in: Baked goods, citrus carbonated beverages and fruit juices, and ice cream.

Calcium peroxide: Used as a bleaching agent and to make dough stronger and more extendable.

—Hazards: Known to be mutagenic at high concentrations, but data are very limited.

—Found mainly in: White bread and rolls.

Carrageenan: Used to stabilize, thicken, and gel.

—Hazards: High dosages have caused fetal death in test animals. Some evidence of mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and teratogenicity.

—Found mainly in: Cheese spreads, chocolate products, evaporated milk, ice cream and dairy confections, and syrups.

Casein: Used as a binder and extender, clarifying agent, and texturizer. A principal protein in cow's milk.

—Hazards: Causes reactions in people allergic to cow's milk. Processing produces some lysinoalanine, which has caused liver damage in rats at low concentrations.

—Found mainly in: Frozen dairy desserts, soups, and infant formulas.

DSS (dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate): Used as a wetting agent in one "dutched" cocoa process; also used as a laxative.

—Hazards: There is some evidence that it reduces growth rates of infants because of reduced lactation in the mother. Also causes gastrointestinal irritation. Cancer and mutation tests have not been done.

—Found mainly in: Some brands of "dutched" cocoa.

Glycerol ester of wood rosin: Used as a binder for flavoring oils, as a softener and plasticizer, and as a flavoring agent.

—Hazards: No data available, nor are there any standards for its use.

— Found mainly in: Citrus beverages, chewing gum, frozen desserts, and gelatins.

Gums: Used to blend, stabilize, and thicken mixtures.

—Hazards: Guar gum has caused deaths of pregnant test animals. Gum arabic (acacia) has caused some deaths of pregnant animals at very high dosages and is an allergen. Gum tragacanth has caused fatalities in pregnant test animals and can also cause allergic reactions. Carob (locust bean) gum has caused high incidences of death in pregnant test animals.

—Found mainly in: Ice cream, salad dressings, sauces, and other creamy food products.

Modified food starches: Used as thickening and gelling agents and to prevent lumping and sticking of powdered products. Produced by chemically treating starch.

—Hazards: Can cause diarrhea, slowed growth, and calcium deposits in the kidneys. Some are not very digestible. Maintenance of GRAS under consideration.

— Found mainly in: Baby foods and baked goods.

Oxystearin (modified glyceride): Used to blend, to clarify, and to prevent crystallization.

—Hazards: May cause testicular cancer; further study needed.

—Found mainly in: Salad oils.

Propylene glycol alginate: Used as a thickener, stabilizer, and defoaming agent.

—Hazards: Has caused maternal and fetal death in mice at high dosages.

—Found mainly in: Frozen desserts, ice cream, and salad dressings.

Flavorings/Colorings

Artificial food coloring: These substances need only be listed as "artificial color", except for FD&C Yellow No. 5, which must be specifically indicated on the label of any product containing it.

—Hazards: FD&C Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine), a coal tar derivative, causes allergic reactions in people sensitive to aspirin. Citrus Red No. 2 is a known carcinogen but is still used on the skins of oranges. FD&C Green No. " 3 is a suspected allergen and produces malignant tumors when injected under the skin of rats. (Subcutaneous injection is no longer considered to be a valid cancer test.) FD&C Red No. 40 has been found to produce tumors in rats and is undergoing further study. FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2 produce tumors in test animals.

Artificial coloring also is associated with hyperactivity in children. Dosages only slightly higher than the national average intake of eight of these colors have caused significant increases in hyperactivity.

—Found mainly in: Many foods. Only Yellow No. 5 must be listed specifically on a label.

Aspartame: A sweetener with approximately 160 times the sweetness of sugar.

—Hazards: Persons with phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot process aspartame. Its accumulation in their bodies can cause mental retardation and death. Acts synergistically with monosodium glutamate, a similar compound. Found mainly in: Beverages, breakfast cereals, chewing gum, gelatins, and puddings.

Caffeine: A stimulant that occurs naturally in coffee, tea, chocolate, kola nuts, etc. and which is added to many other products.

—Hazards: Addictive. May be a teratogen. May cause peptic ulcers and heart ailments. Young people may have a much lower level of tolerance than adults do.

—Found mainly in: Carbonated beverages, chocolate products, coffee, and tea.

Calcium disodium EDTA: See KITCHEN: Food, Preservatives/Antioxidants.

Caramel: Used as a coloring and flavoring. Produced by heating sugar.

—Hazards: Caramel produced by an ammonia process can inhibit growth. No data available on cancer-causing effects; testing is currently under way.

—Found mainly in: Candy, cola, and root beer.

Cinnamyl anthranilate: Used for its fruity taste.

—Hazards: Produces lung tumors in mice. Has been voluntarily discontinued after a proposed ban by the FDA.

—Found mainly in: Baked goods, beverages, candy, gelatin desserts, and ice cream.

Ethyl methyl phenylglycidate: Used as a berry flavoring.

—Hazards: Causes testicular atrophy and growth retardation in male rats, hindquarter paralysis in female rats. Adverse neurological effects.

—Found mainly in: Baked goods, beverages, candy, chewing gum, frozen dairy confections, and gelatins.

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