The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unveiled a new tool that allows people to look up chemical contaminants in foods from a large database.
The database was created to give Americans more transparency and “modernize” food chemical safety, a press release from Health and Human Services (HHS) said.
“HHS is committed to radical transparency to give Americans authentic, informed consent about what they are eating,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement Thursday. “This new Chemical Contaminants Transparency Tool is a critical step for industry to Make America Healthy Again.”
The tool, which can be accessed here, includes tolerances, action levels, guidance levels, derived intervention levels, recommended maximum levels, and advisory levels of contaminants. Some of the contaminants included in the database are Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT, a synthetic pesticide; Chlordane, an organochlorine pesticide; and Aldrin and Dieldrin, which are both synthetic chemicals in the insecticide family.
“Ideally there would be no contaminants in our food supply, but chemical contaminants may occur in food when they are present in the growing, storage or processing environments,” acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner said. “Because many of the most nutritious foods can also contain contaminants, consumers should eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods across and within the main food groups of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and protein to help protect from possible exposure effects.”
The agency signaled that, with Kennedy at the helm, the FDA would continue to promote “radical transparency to make sure all Americans know what is in their food and Make America Healthy Again.”
In another related move, RFK Jr. has announced “Operation Stork Speed” to help ensure safety and quality in the domestic baby formula supply.
“The FDA will use all resources and authorities at its disposal to make sure infant formula products are safe and wholesome for the families and children who rely on them,” Kennedy said. “Helping each family and child get off to the right start from birth is critical to our pursuit to Make America Healthy Again.”
The FDA announced the following actions related to the operation:
- Starting the nutrient review required by law by issuing a Request for Information in the coming months to start the first comprehensive update and review of infant formula nutrients by the FDA since 1998
- Increasing testing for heavy metals and other contaminants in infant formula and other foods children consume
- Extending the personal importation policy
- Encouraging companies to work with the FDA on any questions regarding increased transparency and clearer labeling
- Communicating regularly with consumers and industry stakeholders as significant developments occur to ensure transparency, including information regarding nutrients and health outcomes
- Collaborating with the National Institutes of Health and other scientific bodies to address priority scientific research gaps regarding short- and long-term health outcomes associated with formula feeding in infancy and childhood across the lifespan
