America’s food safety net is hurtling through rapid, monumental shifts that stand to impact every corner of society for decades to come. Despite the federal government’s stated focus on cleaning up our nation’s food supply and improving health outcomes, for most households, buying safe, nutritious food is harder than it’s ever been.
Today, the Pew Charitable Trust estimates that there are over 10,000 chemicals in our food, including those already banned throughout Europe, Canada, and other countries due to known health risks. Many of these chemicals have never been disclosed to, or reviewed by, the FDA. Meanwhile, thousands of families are currently dodging statewide food recalls for contaminated foods and other products linked to life-threatening illness. Nonetheless, our state laws do little to protect New Yorkers and ensure all residents have access to healthy food.
Between last year’s mass waves of FDA layoffs, suspending the country’s food quality control program, and leaving it up to companies to phase out chemical additives, federal action thus far leaves families completely vulnerable. As a pediatrician with over 40 years of experience, and a faith leader deeply rooted in her local community, we know firsthand that Long Islanders aren’t exempt from these food safety gaps.
Each day, we meet residents growing more confused about what’s safe to eat; young families looking for advice to start their kids on a healthy diet or concerned congregants hoping to support their aging relatives. Although the stakes are higher than ever, state lawmakers still have a chance to close these gaps by passing the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act.
The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act would help clean up New York’s food supply on two fronts. First, it would require food and beverage manufacturers to submit evidence proving the safety of their ingredients. Simultaneously, the bill would finally eliminate chemicals like Red 3, potassium bromate, and propylparaben from products sold statewide — food additives long-linked to serious health risks including cancer, hormone disruption, and developmental concerns. None of these chemicals belong in cereal, snacks, or drinks, and especially not products marketed to youth and families. Still, they remain on our shelves because of a broken federal system that allows food giants to monitor themselves and put Americans at risk.
For decades, major companies have dodged FDA scrutiny, inventing food fads and slipping untested chemicals and additives into products without families ever knowing. Surprisingly, no matter how dangerous it proves, none of this secrecy is technically outlawed. Due to a longstanding federal loophole, companies are allowed to skip FDA oversight and independently certify poorly-tested ingredients as “safe,” while promoting products with unproven health benefits. Without stronger laws to hold companies accountable, the food industry shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
At its core, strengthening our food safety laws is a matter of protecting the next generation.
Our country is deep into a decades-long health crisis with more Americans developing chronic disease than ever before. Pediatricians can only do so much in the exam room if our laws continue to allow harmful chemicals in the foods children eat every single day. Recognizing this, other states like California and Utah have already taken crucial steps to step up their food safety laws by banning toxic chemical additives.
So why should New York families have to keep guessing what’s safe to eat?
Given the rise in heavily processed foods, roughly 60% of household food products contain chemical additives, jumping over 10% in the last 19 years alone. But even in “small doses,” food chemicals pose serious dangers for children. To make matters worse, additives are even more common in cheaper foods — a significant threat for the 20% of Long Island families facing food insecurity.
Kids have long lives ahead of them, and every measure we take now can shape a child’s future for better or worse. We cannot wait for the FDA to act, when so many dangerous chemicals are directly impacting our children’s health and development. It’s time for New York lawmakers to get these chemicals out of our foods and create a safer, healthier environment for our communities.
Steven J. Goldstein, MD, FAAP is the Chair of the New York State American Academy of Pediatricians Chapter 2 Committee on Environmental Health and Climate Change for Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk which includes over 1400 pediatricians.
Reverend Melissa Boyer is the Pastor of the Babylon United Methodist Church in Babylon, NY.
