by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola:
Story at-a-glance
- The FDA allows food manufacturers to introduce new additives without independent safety testing, meaning thousands of chemicals are in the U.S. food supply with little oversight
- Many food additives, including emulsifiers and preservatives, disrupt gut bacteria, leading to inflammation, metabolic disorders, and immune dysfunction
- The Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) loophole allows companies to self-certify chemicals as safe, even when long-term health effects are unknown
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- Heavy metals like arsenic and lead are present in common foods due to weak enforcement standards, contributing to cognitive decline and increased disease risk
- Avoiding ultraprocessed foods, choosing organic when possible, and learning how to read ingredient labels will drastically reduce exposure to harmful additives
Food is one of the biggest industries in America. According to a report from CBS News Health Watch, it’s estimated that Americans spend a total of $1.7 trillion every year on food and beverages. However, there’s a big issue lurking underneath that most people don’t know. “American food companies keep secret much of what they put in their products,” the report indicated.1
For decades, food companies have taken advantage of a regulatory loophole known as the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) rule, which allows manufacturers to determine the safety of their own additives without requiring FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approval. This means that companies will be able to introduce new chemicals into the food supply without notifying regulators or conducting long-term studies on their effects.
The result is a system where profit-driven decisions affect public health, and leaving consumers exposed to substances that will undoubtedly harm their bodies over time.2
Exposing the Chemicals Affecting the Health of Americans
The FDA, the agency responsible for regulating food additives, has allowed food manufacturers to introduce new substances with little oversight, often relying on industry-funded research rather than independent evaluation — a glaring public health issue that CBS News Health Watch just tackled.3
•Allergens are rampant in food products — The report indicates that certain ingredients in food products are listed under catchall terms such as “spices” and “artificial flavors.” Other potential allergens used in food production, such as milk, wheat, eggs, and dyes are sometimes undisclosed, leading to numerous food recalls due to causing harm among consumers.4
•Banned in other countries, but not in America — An egregious oversight by the FDA is its permission to add titanium oxide in foods to help enhance their appearance. Its use is so widespread — investigations reveal that it’s in more than 1,900 products.
In the European Union, titanium oxide has been banned, and their regulatory board states that it “can no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive.”
In a previous article I wrote, research has shown that titanium oxide negatively alters your gut microbiota composition, ultimately affecting immune function. Moreover, it’s been shown to cause obesity by affecting metabolic health, as well as contribute to neurotoxicity.
Potassium bromate is another ingredient banned in the European Union (EU) but still used in America. It’s found in more than 200 products, mostly in baked goods such as bread and bagels. According to the CBS News Health Watch report, the International Agency for Research on Cancer identified it as a possible carcinogen more than 25 years ago.5
•Ultraprocessed foods are widespread — Another striking revelation made by the report was the amount of ultraprocessed foods currently in circulation. Specifically, these products now make up a whopping 73% of the U.S. food supply. Moreover, they’re designed to be addictive, which leads to overeating that contributes to the ever-growing epidemic of obesity.6
•European regulations are ahead compared to the FDA — Another finding in the report is the ineffectiveness of the FDA when it comes to reviewing ingredients. “When the FDA formally approves substances for use in food, it can let decades pass without reassessing them — even when subsequent research raises doubts about their safety,” the report said.
But in the EU, ingredients are required to pass regulatory approval before being used in food products. In addition, the EU requires food regulators to reassess all chemical additives that were released before January 20, 2009. Jim Jones, former deputy commissioner of the FDA’s Human Foods Program, says that while the FDA has the authority to do a post-review of food additives, it’s not mandated.7
The FDA’s Weak Oversight Is Affecting Public Health
Going deeper into the oversight issue, a study published in American Journal of Public Health examined how the FDA’s outdated regulatory framework has allowed thousands of chemicals into the U.S. food supply without proper safety assessments.8,9
The research highlights how food manufacturers take advantage of loopholes to introduce additives without independent review, raising serious concerns about long-term health risks. The study also outlines how these chemicals, many of which were never tested for chronic exposure, have been linked to metabolic disorders, neurological conditions, and immune dysfunction.10
•Thousands of chemicals are currently approved for use in food — The study reveals that the FDA has not conducted independent safety reviews on most of them. Many additives were either self-certified as safe by manufacturers or were approved decades ago based on outdated research.
The lack of transparency in the approval process means that consumers are often unaware of the substances they are ingesting daily. Some of these chemicals, such as synthetic emulsifiers and preservatives, have been linked to gut microbiome disruption, which plays a key role in immune function and metabolic health.11
•Companies exploit a regulatory loophole to maximize profits — One of the major issues uncovered in the study is the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) loophole. This regulatory issue allows food companies to introduce new additives without requiring FDA approval, as long as the company deems them safe. This means that chemicals with little to no long-term research will enter the food supply simply because a company claims they are harmless.
The study points out that even when concerns arise, the FDA has little authority to reevaluate or remove these additives from the market unless overwhelming evidence of harm is presented.12
•Some chemicals that were approved decades ago remain in use — The research highlights how certain chemicals are still widespread despite growing evidence of harmful effects.13
For instance, synthetic antioxidants like BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), which are commonly used to preserve processed foods, have been flagged in studies for their cancer risk.14
•Heavy metals are found in common food items — Contaminants such as arsenic and lead, which enter food through industrial processing, packaging, or even water sources used in agriculture, have no safe level of exposure.15 Again, since the FDA has set weak enforcement standards, this has allowed food companies to continue selling products with measurable amounts of these toxins.16
•Food chemicals compromise your gut function — Emulsifiers are chemicals used to improve the texture and shelf life of processed foods. While they help keep products from separating, research has shown that emulsifiers such as polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose disrupt gut bacteria.17
This imbalance in the gut microbiome triggers chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and autoimmune responses. The widespread presence of these additives in everything from salad dressings to frozen meals means that millions of people are exposed daily without realizing the risks.
