The Food and Drug Administration has announced plans to ban three chemicals used in large number of pizza boxes and other food packaging that is has deemed unsafe for human consumption.
According to Food Safety News, the FDA’s recent actions come as a result of a petition filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Food Safety, the Breast Cancer Fund, the Center for Environmental Health, Clean Water Action, the Center for Sciences in the Public Interest, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Environmental Working Group, and Improving Kids’ Environment.
The FDA has indicated its intention of banning three specific perfluoroalkyl ethyl types used in paper box food packaging. These chemicals act as oil and water repellents for paper and paperboard, which often come into contact with fatty and aqueous foods like pizza.
As a result of newly available data concerning the toxicity of the substances in questions, the FDA is no longer reasonably certain that these types of paper food box containers are entirely safe for food contact.
A final rule will be issued by the FDA will take effect 30 days after publication of its findings in the Federal Register. This process also includes the possibility for filing objections and demands for a public hearing.
“The FDA’s ban is an important first step — but just a first step — toward improving the safety of our food supply, said Erik Olson, director of the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) health program.
“Now it should act on our petition to ban the seven other chemical we believe — and government agencies such as the toxicology program at the National Institutes for Health have found — cause cancer.”