US FDA Rejects Limits on Toxic PFAS in Food
The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected a petition to set limits on toxic PFAS 'forever chemicals' in food, despite growing evidence of their dangers. The decision is a setback for public health advocates and comes as the Environmental Protection Agency finds food is the biggest source of PFAS exposure.
Key points
- The US FDA rejected a petition to set limits on toxic PFAS in food, despite growing evidence of their dangers.
- The petition was filed by the Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force in November 2023, citing the EPA's finding that food is the biggest source of PFAS exposure.
- The FDA's decision is a setback for public health advocates, who argue that PFAS should be regulated in food as they are in water.
- The Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force plans to sue the FDA to force them to set thresholds for PFAS in food.
- PFAS are a class of at least 16,000 compounds linked to cancer, birth defects, and other health problems.
US FDA Rejects Limits on Toxic PFAS in Food
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected a petition to set limits on toxic PFAS 'forever chemicals' in food, marking a setback for public health advocates.
The petition was filed by the Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force (TEJTF) in November 2023, citing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) finding that food is the biggest source of PFAS exposure. The EPA has found that PFAS are present in a wide range of foods, including single servings of contaminated foods that are equivalent to drinking many glasses of contaminated water.
The FDA's decision is a disappointment to public health advocates, who argue that PFAS should be regulated in food as they are in water. The Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force plans to sue the FDA to force them to set thresholds for PFAS in food.
PFAS are a class of at least 16,000 compounds linked to cancer, birth defects, and other health problems. They are widely used throughout the food system, and their presence in food has raised concerns among health advocates and regulators.
The FDA's decision is a blow to the 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) movement, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which has made eliminating toxic chemicals from food a cornerstone of its platform. The movement had hoped that the FDA under Kennedy's leadership would take a more serious approach to addressing the threat of PFAS in food.
Sources
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