Chemical Control

WHO Releases Data on the Proportion of Microbiological, Chemical Hazards that are Foodborne

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:04:39 -0400

The study was conducted to support the development of new global burden of foodborne disease estimates, which are going to be released on June 4, ahead of World Food Safety Day.

Prop 65: Are You Worried About Chemical Hazards?

rickstier4@aol.com (Richard F. Stier, M.S.) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

A law to protect the public health is a good idea, but it should be based on a risk assessment—i.e., whether exposure to the chemical really elicits an adverse reaction. Perhaps it is time to update or rethink California's Prop 65.

FDA Modernizes Oversight of Pesticides in Food

Thu, 28 May 2026 13:13:47 -0400

The updated compliance program for pesticide residues includes a new focus on risk-based sampling of foods commonly consumed by young children and reflects procedural changes to the laboratory testing and analysis methods.

Vermont Enacts Food Chemical Laws: Herbicide Paraquat Banned, Baby Food Testing Now Mandatory

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 28 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400

On May 26, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law two bills related to food chemical safety; specifically, the nation’s first state-level ban on paraquat (H.739) and legislation setting heavy metals testing and disclosure requirements for baby food manufacturers (H.536).

FDA Supports Grouping Several Phthalates for Cumulative Risk Assessment

Wed, 27 May 2026 12:19:46 -0400

FDA published a literature review on the eight phthalates currently approved for food contact uses to determine whether they should be considered chemically and/or pharmacologically related for the purpose of cumulative risk assessment.

Researchers Demonstrate Usefulness of Emerging Detection Method for Carcinogenic Food Contaminant

Wed, 27 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are potentially carcinogenic compounds formed during high-heat cooking. An emerging testing method known as QuEChERS—which stands for “Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe”—is designed to overcome the limitations of conventional PAH tests.

‘Natural’ Food Dyes May Have Health Risks Too, Studies Show

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 22 May 2026 05:30:00 -0400

A series of first-of-their-kind, large-scale epidemiological studies have suggested associations between food dyes—both “natural” and artificial—and preservatives, and an increased risk of chronic health conditions like cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

EPA Issues Rules Rolling Back Biden-Era Drinking Water Limits for PFAS

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Wed, 20 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

With two proposed rules issued on May 18, the Trump EPA followed through on its stated intent to rescind or extend the compliance date for Biden-era drinking water limits for several “forever chemicals” of concern.

EU Confirms Safety of Novel Acrylamide-Reducing Enzyme for Coffee Products

Tue, 19 May 2026 10:06:52 -0400

Acrylerase, developed by Kerry Group, is an amidase food enzyme that hydrolyzes acrylamide, and is the first commercially available food enzyme designed to directly decompose the process contaminant after it has formed.

FDA Finalizes Systematic Post-Market Food Chemical Review Process

Tue, 12 May 2026 12:55:16 -0400

The agency also announced the launch of reassessments for butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and azodicarbonamide (ADA).

Updated EU Food Chemical Safety Information Database Now Available

Thu, 07 May 2026 11:57:08 -0400

Drawing from EFSA risk assessments, OpenFoodTox provides structured summaries of hazard information for thousands of individual substances, including food additives and flavorings, pesticides, contaminants, and food contact materials.

New Mexico Bans ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Food Packaging, Cookware; Sets PFAS Labeling Rules

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 07 May 2026 09:15:56 -0400

New Mexico has published a final rule enforcing the New Mexico PFAS Protection Act, outlining a staggered prohibition on the sale of products containing intentionally added PFAS, and describing a PFAS warning label for products still containing the chemicals.

Europeans Exposed to High Doses of Glycerol in Drinks, EFSA Recommends Setting Limits

Wed, 06 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

EFSA conducted an acute exposure assessment for glycerol in slushies and dealcoholized wine following reports of toddlers and young children experiencing glycerol intoxication due to excessive slushie consumption in a single sitting.

Monitoring Data Show EU Food Mostly Compliant with Pesticide Limits

Tue, 05 May 2026 08:31:37 -0400

Based on the results of testing more than 125,000 food samples collected across Europe, compliance with EU pesticide maximum residue levels remains high, reported the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Aldi's Decision to Ban 44 Food Additives Gets Ahead of Regulatory Uncertainty

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 01 May 2026 12:39:08 -0400

Responding to growing consumer and regulatory demand for “natural” foods, the decision builds on Aldi’s removal of 13 synthetic colorants from its portfolio more than ten years ago. The grocer announced this ban while Congress, states, and industry debate ingredient oversight.

Study Links Pesticide Exposure to 150 Percent Higher Cancer Risk, Identifies Biological Mechanisms

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 01 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The findings, based on a novel approach and published in Nature Health, suggest that traditional chemical safety assessments may overlook combined exposures and real-life environmental conditions. Transcriptomic analysis implicated a non-genotoxic mode of action by which pesticides interfere with normal cell function and identity processes.

FDA Testing Shows U.S. Infant Formula is Safe, with Undetectable or Very Low Chemical Contamination

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:39 -0400

Samples were tested for arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, PFAS, pesticides, and phthalates/plasticizers. When toxic heavy metals were detected in some samples, it was at levels far below EPA drinking water limits.

FRESH Act Aims to Preempt State Food Safety Laws, Proposes Controversial GRAS Reforms

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:54:15 -0400

The draft bill proposes sweeping reforms to FDA’s food safety oversight, including GRAS process changes, infant and baby food safety provisions, and federal preemption of state laws. Consumer groups say the FRESH Act’s GRAS reforms and federal preemption language would weaken U.S. food safety.

Higher Temperatures, Fat Content May Increase Chemical Migration from Biodegradable Food Packaging

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

A recent study evaluated the migration of non-intentionally added substances from biodegradable food contact materials (FCMs) under different conditions. The researchers underlined the importance of optimizing polymer blends and processing, and considering chemical analysis in FCM risk assessment.

New York Poised to Ban Certain Food Additives, Require GRAS Ingredient Transparency

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:21:29 -0400

The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act would mandate public disclosures of “Generally Recognized as Safe” substances used in foods manufactured or sold in New York. It has passed the Assembly and Senate, and now awaits the Governor’s signature into law.

California Bill Aims to Ban PFAS Pesticides

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:46:56 -0400

AB 1603 would prohibit the registration of pesticides containing intentionally added PFAS in the state.

Sustainable Fertilizer Practice Causes Increased Cadmium in Rice, Study Shows

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:52:20 -0400

Large-scale recycled manure use—a circular agriculture approach used to combat soil acidification that reduces crop yield—can lead to the accumulation of cadmium in soil, which is then taken up by rice crops, affecting food safety.

FDA Finds Adulteration in 4 Percent of Honey Samples

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:39:46 -0400

In 2025, FDA sampled domestic and imported honey to detect food fraud. Consistent with previous years, the rate of fraud was low, but still high enough to emphasize the ongoing vulnerability of honey to economically motivated adulteration.

FDA FY 2027 Budget Request Includes $57 Million for ‘MAHA’

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:39:32 -0400

FDA’s Human Foods Program specifically would receive a significant increase in funding compared to the previous fiscal year (FY), including $25 million to help address chemical contaminants and additives like PFAS, toxic heavy metals, and GRAS ingredients.

CRISPR-Edited Wheat Leads to Reduced Acrylamide Without Yield Loss

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:36:26 -0400

Rothamsted Research scientists have developed gene-edited wheat with substantially reduced levels of free asparagine, a precursor to acrylamide. Biscuits produced from gene-edited wheat showed a 93 percent reduction in acrylamide compared to controls.

Food Safety Five Ep. 29: The ‘Dirty Dozen’ Debate—Pesticides in Produce Explained

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:30:00 -0400

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses the Environmental Working Group’s 2026 “Dirty Dozen” list of the most “pesticide-contaminated produce,” including ongoing debate over the list’s methodology and its relevance to food safety and public health.

Testing Confirms Microbiological, Chemical Safety of Canadian Infant Formula, Children’s Foods

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently published the findings from several food sampling and testing assignments for microbiological and chemical contaminants across a range of food categories. In general, the results were satisfactory.

Center for Food Safety Opposes Monsanto–Bayer Legal Efforts to Preempt State Pesticide Warnings

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:30:00 -0400

Arguing that states’ authority to require pesticide health warnings is critical to filling gaps in EPA oversight and risk communication, a coalition has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case Monsanto v. Durnell, in which Monsanto (now Bayer), the maker of glyphosate-based Roundup, seeks to strike down that authority.

Codex Committee Advances Work on Standards for Veterinary Drug Residues in Food

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The 28^th session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods made advances related to maximum residue limits (MRLs), extrapolation approaches, and risk management guidance, with several measures forwarded to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption.

EPA Addresses Microplastics, PFAS in Drinking Water; HHS to Study Microplastics in Humans

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:00:00 -0400

EPA has announced its sixth Contaminant Candidate List, which includes PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, disinfection byproducts, and other chemicals and microbes. Concurrently, HHS unveiled its Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP) initiative to address and understand microplastics in the human body.