Going to the supermarket these days is a nightmare.
Newspapers, websites, and television ads dictate what you should put in your
mouths – and worse, what should be avoided. Hearsay makes you avoid products
that will supposedly clog your arteries, give you cancer, or contribute to
early onset of diabetes.
There is a lot of controversy over food additives and their
effect on the body. I believe that people need to be better informed to make
healthy choices for themselves and their families. In order to do that,
however, I believe that there needs to be more testing of food additives before
they are launched into products hitting the shelves in supermarkets near you.
Olestra
Years ago, before the high fructose corn syrup and monosodium glutamate  controversies, olestra was approved by the FDA as a
fat-based substitute for conventional fats. Olestra was used in potato chips,
crackers and other snacks to make the product lower in fat and calories. Due to
the possible side effects, such as abdominal cramps and the inhibition of vital
vitamin absorption, it was required that olestra be labeled on the package. However,
a few years later, the FDA announced that labeling was no longer required.
Despite the FDA's decision, Proctor & Gamble conducted their
own studies showing olestra caused diarrhea and cramps amongst other symptoms.
Since consumers didn't take a liking to olestra, olestra-containing chips have
greatly diminished. During this time, the FDA had gathered more than
twenty-thousand complaints about olestra. Although olestra may not be as
prominent in chips, it may still wind up in your shopping cart because there
isn't an adequate warning label.
Will More Thorough
Testing Prevent Bad Additives From Leeching Into Food Products?
 How do food additives like olestra leak into consumer
products to later cause problems? There were extensive studies that lead to the
approval of olestra by the FDA, and more that contributed to the FDA changing
of the label requirement. Since olestra is used to reduce calories in a portion
of food, it is theorized that people ate more portions and consumed more
olestra, causing a bigger increase in symptoms than originally seen in the
studies.
Should there be a more thorough testing of food additives?
Should additives be tested for more variables? Would more testing and
publication of studies reduce the confusion between customers and the products
on the grocery shelves?
Resources:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00524.html
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2003/ANS01245.html
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200308011.html
http://www.cspinet.org/olestra/11cons.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olestra
http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/8360/Behind-the-Controversy-Monosodium-Glutamate-MSG
| 
2
Re: Should Food Additives Be Put Through More Rigorous Testing?
Comments rated to be Good Answers: