Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 15 November 2018
No accounting for these tastes: Artificial flavors a mystery

By CANDICE CHOI of products the six ingredi- countability Office issued "artificial flavor," he said But Bernstein said a more
AP Food & Health Writer ents are used in. But they a report saying the clause people don't know in what robust regulatory system
NEW YORK (AP) — Six ar- noted in statements that should be re-examined be- concentrations they're might inspire greater public
tificial flavors are being confidence about flavors.
ordered out of the food In a separate but related
supply in a dispute over lawsuit, the FDA is also fac-
their safety, but good luck ing a challenge over its
to anyone who wants to oversight of the universe of
know which cookies, can- ingredients companies can
dies or drinks they're in. put into foods, including ar-
The dispute highlights the tificial flavors. New flavors,
complex rules that govern sweeteners and other in-
what goes in our food, how gredients can go through
much the public knows an FDA petition process to
about it, and a mysterious be approved as food ad-
class of ingredients that ditives. But another option
has evolved over decades lets manufacturers deem
largely outside of public their own ingredients to
view. be "generally recognized
On food packages, hun- as safe." There's no clear
dreds of ingredients are list- rule for when ingredients
ed simply as natural flavor should take one path or
or artificial flavor. Even in the other. The artificial
minute amounts, they help sweetener Splenda is an
make potato chips taste approved food additive.
oniony or give fruit candy Another sweetener, stevia,
that twang. This Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 photo shows part of an ingredient label, which lists "artificial was declared GRAS by
"The food system we have flavoring," on a packet of candy in New York. manufacturers. The six artifi-
is unimaginable without Associated Press cial flavors in question were
flavor additives," said Na- approved food additives,
dia Berenstein, a historian the compounds have nat- cause of its inflexibility. used in particular products. along with dozens of other
of flavor science based in ural counterparts in foods Christopher Kemp, a pro- "It's all secret. You can't pick synthetic flavors.
New York. like basil, coffee, grapes fessor of cancer biology up an ice cream or chew- The flavor industry group
The flavors are also at the and peppermint, and that at the Fred Hutchinson ing gum or a baked good also regularly declares
center of a dispute over the action does not affect Cancer Research Center, and have any idea what other ingredients like them
how ingredients should be the naturally derived ver- doesn't think the rule is nec- chemicals are in there," he to be GRAS, without formal
regulated. sions. essarily too strict a thresh- said. Berenstein, the fla- review by the FDA. Critics
The U.S. Food and Drug Ad- The FDA said it had to order old. He said animal studies vor science historian, said say GRAS determinations
ministration is giving com- the artificial versions out of provide the strongest evi- the ingredients in flavors were meant for basic in-
panies two years to purge the food supply because of dence about cancer risk in don't have to be speci- gredients like salt and vine-
their products of six artificial a lawsuit brought by con- humans, and that it is bet- fied in part because regu- gar, not highly engineered
flavors — even though the sumer advocacy groups ter to err on the side of cau- lators decided long ago ingredients. The advoca-
FDA made clear it believes that cited a 60-year-old tion. that listing the names of cy groups suing the FDA
the ingredients are safe in regulation known as the Erik Olson of the Natural Re- compounds on packages say the GRAS option has
the trace amounts they are Delaney clause. The rule sources Defense Council, might just confuse people. turned into a loophole that
used. prohibits additives shown one of the groups that sued And she stressed that fla- lets companies approve all
The six artificial flavors in to have caused cancer in over the six ingredients, vors are used in infinitesimal sorts of ingredients without
question, with names like animals, even if tested at said it's also unknown what amounts. In 2015, the flavor public scrutiny, including
methyl eugenol, benzo- doses far higher than what effect they might have industry estimates just 40 artificial flavors. In Septem-
phenone, ethyl acrylate a person would consume. when used in combination pounds of one of the now ber, a judge allowed the
and pyridine, are used to In a statement, the flavor with other ingredients. And banned artificial ingredi- legal challenge to move
create cinnamon or spicy industry group said the since they're listed only as ents was produced. forward.q
notes, fruity or minty flavors, Delaney Clause doesn't al-
or even hints of balsamic low regulators to assess an Handwritten Einstein letter
vinegar. ingredient's risk based on
The FDA and the Flavor modern scientific under- auctioned off for nearly $40,000
and Extract Manufactur- standing, but that chang-
ers Association, an indus- ing it would require an act JERUSALEM (AP) — A hand- ter to his sister after going
try group, did not respond of Congress. As far back as written letter written by into hiding in 1922 following
when asked for examples 1981, the Government Ac- Albert Einstein warning of the assassination of Germa-
the dangers of growing na- ny’s Jewish foreign minister
tionalism and anti-Semitism by right-wing extremists. Po-
years before the Nazis rose lice had warned the Jewish
to power has been sold scientist that his life could
for nearly $40,000. The Ke- be in danger too.“Here are
dem Auction House says brewing economically and
the previously unknown politically dark times, so I’m
This undated photo released letter, brought forward by happy to be able to get
by the Kedem Auction House, an anonymous collector, away from everything,” he
shows a copy of a 1922 letter
Albert Einstein wrote to his fetched $39,360 in bidding wrote. Kedem says the let-
beloved younger sister, Maja. in Jerusalem on Tuesday ter was sold at roughly dou-
Associated Press night. Einstein wrote the let- ble its expected price. q