Ever heard of benzophenone, ethyl acrylate, methyl eugenol, myrcene, pulegone or pyridine?
Neither had I.
They are all chemical compounds designed to mimic natural flavours. It’s most unlikely you’ve ever noticed them on a food label, Most food manufacturers tend to simply label them as ‘artificial flavours’.
Shockingly, most of these chemicals have never been tested for safety, using a loophole allowing food companies to deem them as ‘generally recognised as safe’ (GRAS)without further recourse or checks.
What is worse, much worse IMHO they have been linked to cancer in animals.
At bloody last, in response to legal action brought by a coalition of organisations, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made the decision to ban these 7 ‘flavours’ from human consumption, acknowledging at last the results of the cancer trials as a main driver.
Although a win for consumers, these 7 substances are a tiny fraction of the chemicals used in the grand scheme of food processing.
Thanks to Rob Verkherk of ANH International