Some Chemicals Consumed here in the USA are BANNED in Europe and Asia
Here’s a partial list of chemicals that are legal to use in food in the United States but are banned in Asia and Europe:
- Dough Conditioners:
- Potassium Bromate: Used to improve bread dough strength, it’s banned in many countries due to potential carcinogenic properties. Potassium bromate is a powerful oxidizing agent commonly used as a food additive in baked goods, including breads, pastries, bagels, and crusts. It has been linked to various cancers, along with thyroid disease, kidney damage, gut irritation and reproductive abnormalities. In 1999, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), categorized potassium bromate as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
- Azodicarbonamide: Another dough conditioner, it’s also used in plastics and rubber. Europe has banned it due to safety concerns.
- Titanium Dioxide (E171):
- Commonly used as a food colorant and whitening agent, it’s allowed in the U.S. but banned in Europe due to health risks. Titanium dioxide is a color additive used in food that can potentially accumulate in our bodies. It is associated with health risks such as DNA damage and immune system toxicity. The European Union banned the use of titanium dioxide in foods due to these safety concerns, yet the additive remains legal in the US. CSPI and other public health advocacy organizations petitioned the FDA to ban the chemical in foods in March 2023, but the agency has yet to respond.
- Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) (E443):
- Used in citrus-flavored soft drinks, BVO is banned in Europe due to concerns about its impact on health. Brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, which can be found in candy, cookies and more, will be banned starting in 2027 due to links to cancer other health effects.
- Propylparaben (E217):
- A preservative commonly used in food products, it’s allowed in the U.S. but banned in Europe due to potential health risks.
- Chlormequat Chloride:
- Recently detected in oat-based products like Cheerios, it’s a pesticide used as a plant growth regulator. While not approved for edible plants in the U.S., it’s allowed due to importation rules. So, it is banned here in the USA but it is allowed to be used as long as it’s imported!!