On April 8, 2015 the non-governmental organization Environmental Working Group (EWG) announced it had found propyl paraben (PP, CAS 94-13-3) in nearly 50 U.S. snack foods. As a result, EWG has launched a social media campaign and online petition to pressure manufacturers using PP in food to remove it from their products. In the U.S., PP is used as a preservative in foods. Consumers can therefore be exposed to PP either as a direct additive but also as result of contamination during food processing and packaging. Some companies have figured out a way to make their products without this unnecessary and potentially harmful chemical, asserts Renee Sharp, EWG’s director of research. Now it is time for the rest of them to go “paraben free”, Sharp adds. In Europe, PP is authorized as additive in plastic FCMs under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 and may be used without further specifications and restrictions.
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EWG (April 8, 2015). “Analysis finds hormone disruptor used in cosmetics in nearly 50 different foods.”
