On February 12, 2014 the news provider Food Safety News published an article reporting on the call by U.S. food advocates to ban the potentially carcinogenic food and plastic additive (ADCA; CAS 123-77-3). Whereas the additive is banned from any application in food and food contact materials (FCMs) in the EU (Commission Directive 2004/1/EC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers the chemical as safe at concentrations up to 45 part per million (ppm) in food. Following public pressure initiated by a petition by food activist Vani Hari to ban ADCA from Subway sandwiches, the fast food company stated it will voluntarily phase out the use of ADCA as food additive in bread. Taking up the petition, the democratic U.S. Senator Schumer demands in a recent press release that the FDA follow the EU and Australia in banning the use of ADCA in food and FCMs. Already in 1999 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) issued a report pointing out the hazards of ADCA, which induces asthma and skin sensitization. On February 6, ADCA was recommended for the REACH authorization list by the European Chemical Agency (previously reported on by the FPF).

Read more

Lydia Zuraw (February 12, 2014). “Food Advocates Call on FDA to Ban Potentially Carcinogenic Bread Additive.” Food Safety News.

Vani Hari (February 4, 2014). “Subway: Stop Using Dangerous Chemicals In Your Bread.”

Charles E. Schumer (February 10, 2014).  “Schumer reveals: Toxic, cancer-causing chemical that subway sandwich chain voluntarily removed from their bread this week can still be found in scores of other fast food products; calls on FDA to ban chemical in foods nation-wide.”

FPF article "3 FCM substances for REACH authorization list"

Share