FDA may allow some toxic chemicals in food without safety review

newsOct 10, 202634199

The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed expanding its "threshold of regulation" exemption so some non-carcinogenic toxic chemicals could be added directly to food without a safety review. Currently TOR allows certain dangerous compounds in food contact materials if they are not carcinogenic and present below 0.5 parts per billion. The proposed change, filed quietly in the Federal Register, would let companies use such substances as flavorings, preservatives, emulsifiers, processing aids, enzymes, stabilizers and binders in ultra-processed foods. Public health advocates and independent consultant Maricel Maffini warn many chemicals that are not classified as carcinogens, including perchlorate, some phthalates, some bisphenols, some PFAS and some flame retardants, can cause hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, brain damage and reproductive or immune harm at far lower doses than 0.5 ppb. Advocates point to a prior TOR exemption that allowed perchlorate in grain bags and coincided with higher perchlorate levels in children’s cereal, and say the new rule would be a major win for big food based on flawed science. The proposed rule would exempt "any substance used in food (both directly or indirectly added)" from additive regulation if the agency determines there is "no appreciable risk to human health," a standard critics say is too weak to prevent harmful exposures.

A.R. Moxon

@juliusgoat.bsky.social

Our long national nightmare of minimizing toxic chemicals in our food is finally over. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

1481h ago

Risto 🇫🇮7

If you think it's hyperbolic to say you have government in U.S. who is actively trying to kill Americans, it's not. It's the reality in Usa.

Alice Campos4

Lil radium never hurt anybody

taryn3

the consistency with which these ghouls think actual toxins are fine and imaginary toxins are evil is really something to behold

Eric Reese2

Big Business found One Simple Trick to undo over a century of work to improve food safety: Ride on the backs of low-trust weirdos who think food is unsafe.

[Display Name Here]1

If anyone wants to yell at the Feds about it, the proposed rule is still open for comment here (specifically the section titled: “Proposed Revisions to § 170.39—Threshold of Regulation (TOR) for Substances Used in Food or as a Food Contact Substance”):

West Coast Chick1

Arsenic makes my skin look amazing!

Quoting this

Dr. NerdLove10

Tech Bros misunderstanding the Torment Nexus, RFK misunderstanding the point of The Jungle even more than the rest of society...

tim dewey3

UPDATE: Goodbye, yellow dye no. 5! Hello, perchlorate!

Maya Media2

Some? He means “a lot”. Late capitalism is a suicide cult.

James Goodwin

@jamesgoodwin.bsky.social

This time next year toxic chemicals in our food will be mandatory

211h ago

Brant Reeves

@bireeves95.bsky.social

"FDA may allow some toxic chemicals to be added to food without safety review. Experts are alarmed" - The Guardian Remember when, while they were flawed, the FDA at least tried to protect people? Now they literally encourage the worst possible outcomes and it's not even accidental. It's malicious.

102h ago

Randy Fair

@southerngayteacher.bsky.social

This week’s packs highlight Tom Perkins’ exposé “FDA may allow some toxic chemicals to be added to food without safety review. Experts are alarmed.” (Posted) go.bsky.app/2kuukzW

71h ago

Eric Bottorff

@torff.bsky.social

"Regardless, the proposal represents a major win for big food, advocates say, and is based on flawed science." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

51h ago

Lauren Ashley Davis

@laurenmeidasa.bsky.social

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to expand a controversial loophole to allow some of the world’s most toxic chemicals to be added directly to food without a safety review. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

31h ago

Kris Ferderer

@krisferderer.com

Well that's a totally okay thing to do. Can't let toxins get in the way of good ol' fashioned profits. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

1Just now

oceancalm.bsky.social

@oceancalm.bsky.social

One TOR exemption that allows the rocket fuel chemical perchlorate to be used in grain bags dramatically increased the amount of the compound found in kids’ cereal, which advocates say could cause brain damage. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

1Just now

Scott Banville

@sbanville.bsky.social

Make America Sicker Again, “the FDA is proposing to allow some of the world’s most toxic chemicals to be added directly to food without a safety review.” The Trump Agenda.

11h ago

progressivebeat.bsky.social

@progressivebeat.bsky.social

And this guy was supposedly concerned about food additives. What a liar.

11h ago

New Mexico Jim

@newmexicojim.bsky.social

#RFKJr is helping poison millions of American kids because … uh … oh right, Trump gets more donations from Big Poison! BEWARE! Murderous morons run our country’s food inspection program! You and your family and friends may be the next victims of #MAHAMurder! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

11h ago

oothoon.bsky.social

@oothoon.bsky.social

"The FDA & industry have this position that if there’s only a little bit of something in the diet, then it’s not going to be problematic, but that isn’t supported by science of any kind." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

2h ago

Ruth 😯🤯🍄

@racebs.bsky.social

They are trying to kill us. "But Kennedy and the FDA did not mention ... that the proposed Gras rule ... includes the TOR expansion, which public health advocates warn will also send alarming levels of toxic chemicals to grocery store shelves." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

3h ago