FDA ought to prioritize oversight of broadly used meals components

To the editor: The Meals and Drug Administration’s proposal to formally ban Orange B, an artificial meals dye not used for many years, could seem largely symbolic (“FDA proposes ban on Orange B, a meals dye not used for many years,” Sept. 17), but it highlights a broader difficulty: the necessity for extra significant oversight of meals components. Whereas eradicating a long-obsolete dye is optimistic, the company’s focus is likely to be higher spent on dyes and chemical substances nonetheless prevalent within the meals provide that pose real well being dangers. For instance, the broadly used meals dye Purple No. 3 was solely not too long ago banned 35 years after it was initially linked to most cancers.

Regulatory updates ought to prioritize defending public well being and guaranteeing shopper security in ways in which have tangible impression. Symbolic bans could generate headlines, however they do little for on a regular basis security. The FDA has a chance to strengthen oversight in a means that issues, safeguarding the thousands and thousands of People who devour processed meals day by day.

Arav Mestry, Fremont