Home » Posts tagged 'food packaging'
Tag Archives: food packaging
Organic Foods Are the Only ‘Clean’ Packaged Option for Consumers
Organic Foods Are the Only ‘Clean’ Packaged Option for Consumers
Unlike organic packaged foods, conventional packaged food contains thousands of poorly regulated food chemicals, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Working Group.
“Although many consumers choose organic to avoid toxic pesticides, few know that federal rules dramatically limit the use of synthetic substances in organic food,” said EWG nutritionist Dawn Undurraga, one of the authors of the report.
It is widely known that certified organic fruits and vegetables have far lower pesticide levels than conventionally grown produce, thanks to federal regulations. But many consumers do not realize that fewer than 40 synthetic ingredients are allowed in organic packaged foods like salad dressing, cereals and snacks.
By contrast, at least 2,000 chemical preservatives, colors and other chemicals are used in conventional packaged foods, EWG found.
What’s more, many consumers are unaware that food manufacturers don’t need approval from the Food and Drug Administration for many of the chemicals added to conventional packaged foods.
“The same companies that manufacture food chemicals are allowed to declare them safe,” said Melanie Benesh, EWG legislative attorney, a report co-author. “It’s like the fox guarding the hen house. For those consumers seeking ‘clean foods’ free from toxic chemical additives, organic is really your only option.”
Substances added to organic food must be approved by government and independent experts every five years. Those substances approved for use in organic foods must be proven safe for consumption, with no adverse impact on the environment.
Since 2008, 72 substances have been rejected for use in organic food.
Many of the chemicals used in conventional food have been linked to serious health problems like cancer, including sodium nitrate and butylated hydroxyanisole. Many of these chemicals are not reviewed by independent experts but are instead deemed “safe” by chemical companies, food companies or industry trade associations.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
When it comes to food packaging, what we don’t know could hurt us | Ensia
When it comes to food packaging, what we don’t know could hurt us | Ensia.
October 13, 2014 — It’s almost impossible to imagine life without flexible, transparent and water-resistant food packaging, without plastic sandwich bags, cling film or shelves filled with plastic jars, tubs and tubes, and durable bags and boxes.
While storing food in containers dates back thousands of years, and food has been sold in bottles since the 1700s and cans since the 1800s, what might be considered the modern age of food packaging began in the 1890s when crackers were first sold in sealed waxed paper bags inside a paperboard box. Plastics and other synthetics began to appear in the 1920s and ’30s, shortly after chemical companies started experimenting with petroleum-based compounds and pioneering new materials that could be used for household as well as industrial applications.
Fast forward to 2014: Upwards of 6,000 different manufactured substances are now listed by various government agencies as approved for use in food contact materials in the U.S. and Europe — materials that can legally go into consumer food packaging, household and commercial food containers, food processing equipment, and other products.
…click on the link above to read the rest of the article…
