Letter to Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration - Cancer Causing Chemical in Fast Food

Letter

Dear Commissioner Hamburg:

I write to urge the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as the federal entity responsible for determining the safe use of food additives, to take immediate action and ban azodicarbonamide as a food additive. This is a harmful chemical added to food that is not only found in bread across the country but is also commonly used in the manufacturing of plastic and rubber products. It is highly disturbing that a product which is used to make yoga mats and soles of sneakers can make its way into food that our families eat.

As you know, azodicarbonamide is a food additive used as a flour bleaching agent and dough conditioner intended to strengthen dough and make it rise faster. This is most commonly used in cereal and bread products. According to the FDA, this chemical is deemed as safe for consumption so long as it is properly labeled and does not exceed an arbitrary 2.05 grams per 100 lbs of flour, or 45 parts per million (ppm). A large number of fast food restaurants currently use this additive in their bread products, which means millions of Americans are unknowingly ingesting this potentially harmful chemical.

According to the World Health Organization, azodicarbonamide can induce and aggravate asthma for people who work where it is manufactured and used. However, it is not just the initial product that causes harm. During processing, azodicarbonamide breaks down, leaving trace amounts of semicarbazide which is known to be carcinogenic. Additionally, the World Health Organization indicates very few studies have examined the long term carcinogenic, reproductive and developmental effects of human consumption of azodicarbonamide. This particular additive is currently banned in Australia, the United Kingdom and most other European countries. Subway, a global sandwich chain, recently announced that they will be eliminating azodicarbonamide from their ingredient list in the United States.

I applaud the FDA's oversight of the safety of food additives in the Unites States and your ongoing efforts to ensure that food in this country is safe for consumption. I strongly believe that further action should be taken to ban azodicarbonamide as a food additive within the United States. We must avoid exposing our families and children to the potential harmful effects that consuming azodicarbonamide may lead to. Thank you for your consideration of this important health concern.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer

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