The immune system may be vulnerable to food preservatives: study

Washington: Findings from a new peer-reviewed study from the Environmental Working Group suggest that a food preservative used to extend the shelf life of Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies Treats, Cheez-Its and nearly 1250 other popular processed foods could harm the immune system.

For the study, published this week in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, EWG researchers used data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s ToxCast, or ToxCast, to assess the risks. health chemicals most commonly added to foods, as well as the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, which can migrate to foods from packaging.

Analysis of ToxCast data by the EWG showed that the preservative tert-butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ, has been shown to damage the immune system in both animal and non-animal tests known as high throughput in vitro toxicology tests. This finding is of particular concern during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic has drawn the attention of the public and scientists to environmental factors that can impact the immune system,” said Olga Naidenko, PhD, EWG vice president for scientific investigations and lead author of the news. study. Naidenko added: “Before the pandemic, chemicals that could interfere with the immune system’s defense against infection or cancer did not receive enough attention from public health agencies. To protect public health, this must change. “

TBHQ

TBHQ is a ubiquitous preservative in processed foods. It has been used in food for many decades and serves no purpose other than to increase the shelf life of a product. Using new non-animal test results from ToxCast, the EWG found that TBHQ affects proteins in immune cells at doses similar to those causing damage in traditional studies. Previous studies have shown that TBHQ may influence how well flu shots work and may be linked to an increase in food allergies.

PFAS

Using ToxCast, the EWG analyzed all publicly available studies that show how PFAS migrate to food from packaging materials or processing equipment. This is the first known compilation of available research on the migration of PFAS from packaging to food. In 2017, nationwide testing showed that many fast food chains were using food packaging, bags and boxes coated with highly fluoridated chemicals.

Human epidemiological studies show that PFAS suppresses immune function and decreases the effectiveness of the vaccine. Recently published research has also found a link between high levels of PFAS in the blood and the severity of Covid-19.

Surprisingly, for most PFAS, ToxCast’s results did not match data from previous animal and human tests. This illustrates the limitations of this new method of chemical testing. More research is needed to understand how PFAS harms the immune system.

Food Chemicals Regulations

The Food and Drug Administration’s approach to regulating food additives ignores the latest scientific evidence on the health harms of additives that can be legally added to processed foods made in the United States Last year, The GTE published Food Additives State of the Science, which highlighted additives known to increase cancer risk, harm the nervous system, and disrupt the body’s hormonal balance.

Chemicals related to health damage can be legally added to packaged foods because the FDA often allows food manufacturers to determine which chemicals are safe. Additives like TBHQ were approved by the FDA decades ago, and the agency does not consider new science to re-evaluate the safety of food chemicals.

“Food manufacturers have no incentive to change their formulas,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at EWG. Faber added, “Too often the FDA allows the food and chemical industry to determine which ingredients are safe for consumption. Our research shows how important it is for the FDA to review these ingredients and test all of them for safety. food chemicals. “

Less toxic food preservatives

Processed foods can be prepared without these potentially harmful ingredients, so buyers should read labels carefully. TBHQ is often, but not always, listed on the ingredient label. It will be listed if it was added to the product during manufacture. But it can also be used in food packaging, especially plastic packaging, in which case it can migrate to food.

EWG’s Food Scores database helps consumers find products made with healthier alternatives, and our Healthy Living app allows shoppers to scan products while in store to choose a better option.

The EWG recommends that immunotoxicity testing be given priority for chemicals in food and food contact materials in order to protect public health from their potential adverse effects on the immune system.

The EWG also called on the FDA to fill the regulatory void that allows potentially dangerous food additives to remain on the market. The FDA should also quickly review additives such as TBHQ to reflect the new science.