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Some foods commonly consumed in the US contain ingredients that are banned in other countries. The European Union has banned artificial colors like yellow 5, yellow 6, and red 40 due to potential health risks, especially for children. GMOs are allowed in the US but not in most of Europe. Trans fats found in products like Ritz crackers and Pillsbury biscuits are banned in several European countries. BHT, a chemical found in wheat thins and frosted flakes, is banned in the UK, Japan, and parts of Europe. The FDA has strict guidelines and regularly reviews food additives. It is recommended to choose foods that are closer to their natural state and consider whether they come from a farm or a factory.

I'm getting groceries for our trip to Europe. Check out the color of Fanta here—it's quite different from the bright orange we see in the U.S. That's because they can't use artificial colors or dyes; this version is made with 100% orange juice. No chemicals mean you can enjoy it without worrying about weight gain. It's a stark contrast to American food, which often contains additives.

The speaker met with major food processors and producers and addressed food dyes, claiming they are not used in other countries and are associated with diseases like cancer, behavioral issues, and neurological problems like ADHD. The speaker stated that many companies produce the same products with vegetable dyes in Canada, Mexico, and Europe. The speaker asked the companies to make the same products for the US market. According to the speaker, the CEO of Pepsi, which owns Doritos, said consumers like Doritos to be very red, and they have not yet found a vegetable dye that matches, but they are working on it. The speaker gave the companies two years to remove the dyes. The speaker also met with Tyson's Foods, who said they are down to one dye, a caramel used in some meat products, and are working on removing it quickly.

Aldi Fresh products have bioengineered ingredients like in salads, bagels, and granola bars. Despite claiming to be fresh with no artificial flavors, they still contain these ingredients.

The speaker says they want dyes removed from food, noting that products like Froot Loops contain dyes in the US but not in Canada or Europe. They are launching a review of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) standards, which were adopted in 1958 to avoid testing common foods like flour, dairy, and eggs. The speaker claims industry took advantage of GRAS to add chemicals to food without review, resulting in 10,000 ingredients in US food compared to 400 in Europe. They state the US has the worst chronic disease burden globally. The plan is to eliminate GRAS standards for new products, review old ingredients for safety, and encourage companies to remove harmful ingredients.

The Food and Drug Administration granted final approval to the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Those hesitant due to its Emergency Use Authorization may now be more inclined to take it. The vaccine has been proven safe and effective and now has final approval. The speaker urges listeners to take the vaccine to save their life, and potentially the life of another.

Speaker 0: Under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, a drug is defined as anything that is intended for use in the cure, treatment, prevention, or mitigation of disease. The example given is prune juice: if you drink prune juice for chronic constipation, the FDA regards prune juice as a drug. The assertion is that the FDA defines it as a drug to protect drug companies from competition. Speaker 1: The implication is that if a natural remedy, plant, herb, or even a food improves an abnormal state of the body, it is now classified as a drug. For instance, if someone claims that garlic can actually help your cholesterol and reduce the risk of a heart attack, and they are selling garlic, they would be subject to regulations. By using a disease claim, garlic is no longer just something used to season food; it is considered a drug.

I want to discuss Red 3 and Red 40. The FDA considers food coloring like Red 40 safe for children, but it hasn't been evaluated in over a decade. Regarding Red 3, which is known to cause cancer in cosmetics, a petition is pending to revoke its authorization for food use. The FDA is expected to act on this soon. Red 3 is recognized as carcinogenic in laboratory animals, but the scientific consensus is that this risk does not apply to humans. However, the Delaney clause prohibits any chemical shown to be carcinogenic in animals or humans from being authorized by the FDA. This presents a challenge, as there is evidence suggesting it may not be harmful to humans despite its classification.

Anything from nature cannot be patented, so drug companies won't spend millions testing natural substances for FDA approval. The FDA requires efficacy and safety testing, but since natural substances can't be patented, no company will invest in the testing. Therefore, according to the speaker, the FDA will always condemn anything from nature as unproven, regardless of its potential effectiveness.

The speaker asks if there's a plan to address food additives from the top down, rather than state by state. The other speaker says one of the first groups they met with after being sworn in was major food processors and producers. The meeting went very well, and the speaker believes these companies see the "writing on the wall." Food dyes are considered the most egregious additives because they aren't used in other countries and are associated with cancers, behavioral issues, and neurological diseases like ADHD. The speaker claims these companies often make the same products with vegetable dyes in Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Genetically modified food is not labeled in the US due to FDA regulations, as it's considered equivalent to unmodified food. Consumers are kept in the dark about GMO ingredients to prevent confusion. The FDA relies on safety assessments from the patent-holding companies like Monsanto, Pfizer, or Syngenta, without conducting independent studies. FDA scientists have expressed concerns about this practice, urging against allowing GMO foods on the market due to unknown consequences.

US versions of Skittles, Froot Loops, and M&M's contain high-risk additives not found in their European counterparts. Skittles in the US contain titanium dioxide, which is banned in Europe. Froot Loops in the US contain yellow six lake, red 40, blue one, and butylated hydroxytoluene, which are not in the European version. US M&M's have yellow five lake, yellow six lake, and Red 40 Lake, which the European version does not. The EU has stricter regulations than the US, leading to these ingredient differences. A California bill aims to ban harmful substances, potentially leading companies to reformulate products without ingredients like titanium dioxide and red dye three.

The Delaney Amendment ensures the FDA keeps poisons out of food to protect against cancer-causing additives. Alexa confirms suing the FDA under the Delaney Amendment is possible once approved. The concept of "generally safe" in food law is discussed. The conversation is for entertainment and educational purposes only.

The speaker questions why the American version of Froot Loops contains artificial dyes and BHT, while the Canadian version does not. The Canadian version is made in the US with a different formulation, lacking red 40, yellow five, yellow six, and blue one. The speaker suggests two reasons for this discrepancy. First, natural food colorings are more expensive than artificial dyes derived from petroleum. Second, manufacturers acknowledge that natural food colorings are less bright and therefore less appealing to children.

- "the EU has finally banned US grown apples." - "and nonprofit, the Environmental Working Group, is demanding immediate action to make sure our flagship fruit is safe." - "Their concern, diphenylamine or DPA, a pest icide applied to apples after they're harvested to help prevent browning." - "The chemical was first registered with the Environmental Protection Agency in 1947, but concerns about potential carcinogenic properties recently led the EU to limit DPA residue to point one parts per million on European apples." - "The EPA, by contrast, currently allows 100 times that much." - "For its part, the EPA says it doesn't have plans to change its guidelines, pointing to its 1997 finding that professed reasonable certainty of no harm from the chemical." - "But the anti DPA pressure is reaching new heights."

The FDA has misled Americans about the safety of food chemical additives for nearly 70 years. Over 1,000 additives, including natural flavors, have not been safety reviewed by the FDA. Companies can self-declare these additives as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) without notifying the FDA, which leads to minimal oversight. As a result, 98.7% of food chemicals introduced since 2000 were only evaluated by the companies that produced them. Natural flavors can be up to 90% synthetic, and companies are not required to disclose all additives. Senator Cory Booker and Senator Ed Markey introduced the Safe and Toxic Free Food Act to close this loophole, requiring the FDA to review all food additives. The act is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pension, and public support is encouraged. Details about the act and contact links for committee members are available on my blog.

Yellow 5 and 6, commonly found in foods, pose risks without any nutritional value. The Center for Science in the Public Interest argues against allowing yellow 5 due to its potential harm. Yellow 6 has been linked to adrenal tumors in animals, although industry and the FDA dispute this claim. Additionally, yellow 6 may contain cancer-causing chemicals and cause severe hypersensitivity reactions. Moving on to blue 1, it was not found to be toxic in rat and mouse studies, but an unpublished study suggested a possible link to kidney tumors in mice. The FDA is investigating a potential connection between Lucky Charms cereal and certain illnesses.

Texas just passed a law that changed the game for processed food. Starting in 2027, any food products sold in Texas that contains one of 44 banned or restricted ingredients, additives, will have to carry this label. "Warning. This product contains an ingredient not recommended for human consumption by authorities in The EU, UK, Canada, or Australia." Included in those 44 ingredients is bleached flour found in a lot of processed foods. And titanium dioxide's another ingredient on the list added as a colorant to make things brighter and whiter. Classified as possibly carcinogenic in humans, it's found in over 11,000 food products, a lot of candy and stuff for kids, pretty much every processed food that's white with no warning, no disclosure, nothing.

One of the mysteries in organic produce is how Organi Peel, backed by Bill Gates, got approved. The coating's ingredients are unclear, with citric acid at 0.66% and 99.34% unspecified. The EPA lists it as a pesticide, with a caution to wash thoroughly before eating. The organic material review institute approved it as a fungicide without specifying ingredients. This lack of transparency raises concerns about its safety and organic status. The speaker finds Organi Peel unappealing and will not use it on their produce. Translation: The approval process for Organi Peel, a coating for organic produce, is mysterious due to unclear ingredients and safety concerns.

Artificial food dyes are debated. Colorants from fruit are used in the Canadian version of a product, which is less bright than the version with artificial dyes. Food companies like Kellogg argue children prefer the brighter, artificially dyed version. The speaker equates this preference to a preference for cocaine over sugar, implying that children's preference does not justify the use of artificial dyes.

15 million pounds of artificial food dye are added to food annually, much of it marketed to children. These dyes are linked to behavior problems in kids, including ADHD and autism. One speaker has observed links between dyes and diseases in their kids and patients, such as allergies, inflammatory diseases, and behavior problems. Data suggests food coloring may cause behavioral disorders. The FDA acknowledges red number three as a known carcinogen, yet it is still approved for use. Red number 40, yellow number five, and yellow number six are also important to note.

The speaker thanks the president for his leadership in making America healthy again. They announced a ban on nine petroleum-based synthetic blue dyes, with the worst two to be banned within two months. They are working with Secretary Rollins on new dietary guidelines to replace the current 453-page guidelines, which they claim are unreadable and the product of politicized science that promoted unhealthy foods. The goal is to develop gold-standard science-based guidelines by the end of the summer to drive major changes in school lunch programs for the next school year. They are also working with Secretary Rollins to remove sodas and candy from the SNAP program, noting that 10% of food stamps go to these items. The speaker thanks the president for standing up to powerful businesses.

US Froot Loops contain artificial synthetic food dyes, including Red 40, Yellow five, Yellow six, and Blue one. These dyes have been linked to behavioral issues in kids, such as hyperactivity and attention deficit symptoms. Canadian Froot Loops use more natural dyes. Kellogg's makes both versions, implying they could sell the naturally dyed Froot Loops in the US. The speaker claims the hyper-neon, addictive US Froot Loops contribute to Americans being fat and unhealthy. The speaker suggests eating unprocessed meat and plant foods as a solution. Food companies are allegedly making us sick, but the speaker believes we know how to get healthy.

Skittles and other food products contain titanium dioxide, which is used to whiten or enhance color. A man in California has filed a lawsuit claiming that Skittles are unfit for human consumption because of this ingredient. Mars Candy, the makers of Skittles, state that their use of titanium dioxide complies with FDA regulations. A European study raised concerns about the substance's potential effects on genes and DNA, leading the European Union to eliminate it from foods as a precautionary measure.

Aldi Fresh products have bioengineered ingredients, like in salads, bagels, and granola bars. Despite claiming no artificial flavors, these items still contain bioengineered ingredients.