Addressing the recent wave of state-level food additives bans and bills, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has released an educational toolkit to help inform the public about the benefits of food additives and preservatives, as well as other resources to keep industry abreast of current regulations. 

The Food Additives Toolkit covers topics including: the history surrounding food additives and preservatives; use cases and key benefits, including ensuring food safety, reducing food waste, and enriching nutrition; concerns such as chemical-sounding names, public health, and emerging science; and the current regulatory landscape, both nationally and globally.

The toolkit is the latest in a series of educational tools IFT has developed around food additives, including a webinar hosted in February 2024 on how the state-level food additives ban will impact the food industry. IFT also created a members-only 2024 Additives Overview that shares information about the additives being considered for state-level bans, including titanium dioxide, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate, and red dye 3. The resource covers current regulatory status, relevant scientific studies, commonly used alternatives, and additional reading for each of the additives.

IFT has also released a special collection of papers that dives into food additives and preservatives from its scientific journals, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety and Journal of Food Science. Additionally, IFT will host a webinar, titled, “An Introduction to FDA’s Food Ingredient Regulatory Programs” on April 2, 2024, which will educate attendees on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) regulatory pathways. Featuring FDA Regulatory Review Specialist Katie Overbey, Ph.D., M.S., the webinar will cover food and color additive petitions, as well as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) chemicals. Dr. Overbey will share essential information about determining the regulatory status of ingredients.