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The Food and Drug Administration is proposing a new rule, updating the proper amount of fluoride that bottled water should contain.
Fluoride is an important nutrient that can help reduce cavities and tooth decay. While the public can certainly take advantage of fluoride, too much is not a good thing at all.
Too much fluoride is bad
Overexposure to fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis, a condition that often occurs in young children up to 8 years of age when tooth formation is at its peak. This causes the appearance of white spots on the surface of the tooth and changes the appearance of the enamel. Although it may be visually distressing, the disease usually does not cause any impairment of dental functioning.
In the United States, most cases of dental fluorosis are considered very mild or mild. Moderate to severe types are rare. When these rare cases occur, patients experience formation of pits in the teeth.
The FDA believes that having the right balance between fluoride consumption, especially in children, is very important because their teeth are still developing.
FDA intensifies
The FDA is responsible for ensuring that the level of fluoride, if it is added in bottled water products, is correct.
The FDA is responsible for ensuring that the public receives the benefits of fluoride while being protected from possible side effects. This is why they are intensifying and looking for a way to reduce fluoride levels in bottled water if they are added by production companies.
The proposed rule
The proposal, entitled "Proposed Rule to Revise the Permissible Level of Fluoride in Bottled Water to which Fluoride Was Added", was released by the FDA on April 2.
The authors proposed to lower the amount of fluoride permissible in bottled water to which fluoride is added by the manufacturer to 0.7 mg / L. This figure corresponds to the 2015 recommendation of US Public Health Service for community water systems that add fluoride to prevent tooth decay. Manufacturers have been informed of this situation a number of them have already started working on this issue at the time.
If the proposal does not encounter obstacles on the road, it will pave the way for the revision of the current permitted quantities of fluoride in imported and locally packaged bottled water to which the producer adds fluoride. This rule will not affect the permissible levels of fluoride in products to which the manufacturer has not added fluoride.
"Today's action, if finalized, is a step forward in helping to ensure that bottled water achieves the right balance of fluoride by setting the requirements for manufacturers to add fluoride to this water, said Susan Mayne, Ph.D., Director of the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. She added that reducing fluoride levels will help the public to reap the benefits of fluoride while preventing the effects of overexposure.
The public, as well as stakeholders and members of the industry, have the opportunity to comment on the proposal for 60 days. Details on how to submit questions, concerns or suggestions are available in the federal register.
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