The Issue
Chemicals in Food
Foods can contain many harmful substances, including pesticides, unhealthy additives or contaminants. EWG is working to reduce the threat of toxic chemicals in food.
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The Latest on Chemicals in Food
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found that 15 brands of powdered infant formula are contaminated with perchlorate, a rocket fuel component detected in drinking water in 28 states and territories. The two most contaminated brands, made from cow’s milk, accounted for 87 percent of the U.S. powdered formula market in 2000, the scientists said.
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What do popcorn bags, muffin and croissant bags, hamburger and sandwich wrappers, pizza box liners, French fry and hash brown bags and butter boxes have in common? If your guess was "savory food inside," this answer is only partially correct.
Read MoreIf you, too, are a blogger, then you know how fascinating it can be to look at stats. Which posts were super popular, read across the nation - or globe? And which were duds, appreciated by none. What were we talking about way back then, anyway??
Read MoreEnvironmental Working Group’s (EWG) popular Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides has a new look -- and an updated list of fruits and vegetables for consumers who aim to reduce their families’ exposure to pesticides.
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Documents obtained by EWG show that officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are pressing to reverse the agency’s current recommendations that pregnant women and children limit their seafood consumption due to risks of exposure to mercury – an extremely harmful neurotoxin found at high levels in a number of popular seafood species such as tuna, swordfish and mackerel.
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Although completely eliminating exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) may not be possible, there are steps you can take to reduce your family's exposure to this chemical by avoiding common sources and limiting exposure for the highest risk groups.
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Breast milk is best, but whether you're feeding breastmilk or formula in a bottle, use EWG's guide to feed your baby safely.
Read MoreEWG scientists interviewed about BPA in baby formula & safe cosmetics.
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In 2006, under pressure from the U.S. EPA, DuPont and 7 other companies promised to phase out by 2015 a cancer-causing chemical called PFOA, used to make Teflon and also found in grease-resistant coatings for food packaging. In its place, the chemical industry is pushing new, supposedly “green” food package coatings. But an investigation by EWG finds no evidence that the industry-touted replacement chemicals being rushed to market are safer -- and plenty of evidence that DuPont and other manufacturers are continuing a decades-long pattern of deception about the health risks of PFOA and related chemicals.
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It may sound like a strange ingredient, but iodized salt actually helps protect your thyroid from chemicals such as perchlorate. So stick with the iodized salt, especially if you're a pregnant mother. EWG's Dr. Anila Jacob explains.
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Although the revelation that over 1 million pounds of suspect seafood from China was allowed into the country is woefully late, better late than never.
Read MoreWe are one summer away from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and the host country is trying to win the gold by going green. This week’s Outside the Box hurdles organic pork, strict air quality control standards, and vast urban renewal in a marathon of environmental stories that might leave you forgetting about lead paint and toxic food.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on Coca-Cola's settling of a benzene-in-soda lawsuit and the reformulation of two of its products.
Read MoreEWG laboratory tests found a toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects of the male and female reproductive systems in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods. The study targeted the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), a plastic and resin ingredient used to line metal food and drink cans. There are no government safety standards limiting the amount of BPA in canned food.
Read MoreA CBC investigation finds that 13% of tuna on shelves (sampled from Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto) exceeded Health Canada guidelines for allowable mercury in tuna.
Read MoreIn 1991 the FDA let the beverage industry decide what to do about benzene in its soft drinks, without offering any guidelines for eliminating the carcinogen. Fifteen years later, benzene was still forming in soft drinks containing the ingredients sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid.
Read MoreIf you're concerned about food safety, you probably already look for organic produce at the supermarket. But if you can't always buy organic, you can still dramatically lower your family's exposure to chemical pesticides by choosing the least pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables with the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
Read MoreE-85 Mileage Loophole for Carmakers: Car companies promoting E-85 as an alternative to gasoline are getting credit from the government for nearly double the gas mileage their vehicles actually achieve, allowing manufacturers to sell more full-size SUVs and pickups while still meeting federal standards for average fuel economy.
Read MoreThe proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes, and obviously pudding is safe to eat. Just call me or Bill Cosby - we can talk tapioca all day. Today's Salt Lake Tribune editorial insists that "Makers of dietary supplements should have to prove safety." Sounds obvious, but if it isn't food you eat or a drug you take, don't assume it's been proven safe.
Read MoreThis week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a 30-day public comment period for a motion filed by three watchdog groups that seeks an immediate suspension of all food uses of the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride.
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