FDA Amends Food Additive Regulations to Remove Carcinogenic Chemicals

The Food and Drug Administration is amending its regulations to no longer allow the use of benzophenone, ethyl acrylate, eugenyl methyl ether, myrcene, pulegone and pyridine as synthetic flavoring substances for use in food, it said in a final rule. A set of environmental and consumer advocacy groups had requested the changes to FDA’s food additive rules, submitting evidence that each of the chemicals has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. For that reason, FDA is also banning use of benzophenone as a plasticizer in rubber articles intended for repeated use in contact with food. In a separate final rule, FDA is amending its food additive regulations to no longer provide for the use of styrene as a flavoring substance and adjuvant for use in food because the chemical is no longer used in these applications by industry. Both final rules take effect Oct. 9.