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Dec 5, 2024 | 
organicconsumers.org | Organic Bytes |Evan Bush |Ketura Persellin |Timothy A. Wise
Organic BytesNewsletter #874: 5 GMOs the New FDA Should Take Off the Market Since the George H.W. Bush Administration, the FDA has treated genetically engineered synthetics the same as normal foods, allowing them to be approved without safety-testing or post-market monitoring through the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) loophole. President Donald Trump could change this.
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Sep 10, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
A head of clean, healthy hair is a sign of basic self-care for many Americans. But some products might contain ingredients that can increase your exposure to toxic chemicals. EWG’s 2023 cosmetics survey showed about a third of respondents use shampoo every day, and nearly that many – 30 percent – weekly. That’s a lot of shampoo over a lifetime, adding up to significant repeat exposures to whatever the products contain.
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Aug 5, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
It’s no secret kids love bright colors. Just look at the snack aisle in the grocery store, lined with vividly packaged products marketed to children and teens. But the source of the often eye-poppingly bright food inside the packaging may be toxic artificial food coloring.
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Jul 31, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
You’re aware that some sweets, breakfast cereal and soda contain artificial color, so if you don’t eat them, you can mostly avoid artificial food dye – right? Not so fast. Turns out there are plenty of foods you’d never suspect contain artificial food dyes but actually do – including some seemingly healthy foods. The presence of these colors is a problem, because research has long shown they are harmful, particularly for children.
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Jul 2, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
The heat, scent and smoke of a grill are among the most welcome signs of summer. But that aromatic food can come with a side of toxic chemicals. What can you do to avoid this unnecessary exposure? When you plan your menu, think about the mains first: will it be steak, burgers, hot dogs? Natural or organic? Whatever you serve, try to choose what’s healthiest for you and the environment. The U.S. consumes a lot of meat, and that’s on the rise.
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Jun 5, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
Lavender is having a moment: It seems as if every coffee place is touting its wisteria-colored lattes, with Starbucks alone rolling out three lavender drinks this spring. Yum, right? Not so fast. Turns out that foods promoting lavender may contain little or none of the plant that grows in nature, but instead a concoction of chemicals mixed in a beaker. It’s not just coffee drinks being spruced up with lavender.
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May 17, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
Most of the foods and drinks the average American consumes may be making them sick. So-called ultra-processed foods can be harmful to your health, according to study after study. The most recent one says several categories of these foods are particularly hazardous: certain ready-to-eat meat-, poultry-, and seafood-based products, sugary and artificially sweetened drinks, dairy-based desserts and certain breakfast items.
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Feb 14, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
The harmful “forever chemicals” known as PFAS are everywhere – as EWG scientists say, “Wherever we look, we find them.” But reducing exposure to these toxic substances is possible. PFAS are in the blood of 98 percent of Americans. The health harms they can cause include greater risk of some cancers, suppressing the immune system and more. PFAS are linked with increased cholesterol, reproductive and developmental problems and other health harms.
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Feb 14, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
Add skis and snowboards to the long list of consumer products treated with the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS: outerwear, furniture, carpeting, upholstery fabric, period products, cookware, “long lasting” makeup, and takeout food packaging, among others. Special wax used to coat skis and snowboards to lower wear and tear and enhance performance often contains PFAS, particularly in higher-end versions. The chemicals’ nonstick properties help skis glide better across the snow.
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Feb 12, 2024 | 
ewg.org | Ketura Persellin
Whether your taste runs to salty or sweet, you probably ate your share of snacks while you watched this year’s Super Bowl – some with potentially harmful ingredients. The big game is popular with advertisers trying to tempt you into buying their foods, spending enormous sums on spots each year. Some of the products advertised this year score poorly in Food Scores, the EWG database that scores packaged foods on nutrition, ingredient and processing concerns.
