Bipartisan US voters demand tighter chemical restrictions for F&B

11 Oct 2022 --- US voters have asked for governmental action to keep harmful chemicals out of their food, water and packaging. A national survey commissioned by the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) reveals that Americans want their products to be chemical-free and have reduced plastic.

After surveying 1,200 registered voters from May 25 to June 5, 2022 – 92% of voters agree that the government should require products to be proven safe before being put on the market, and 88% agree that companies should work toward removing plastics from packaging.

“At a time when most issues are politically polarized, the issue of keeping people safe from harmful chemicals finds widespread agreement among Democrats, Republicans and Independent voters,” says Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, who conducted the poll.

The US falls behind many countries in the number of banned chemicals for food, packaging and many other products, but voters unanimously ask for change. The respondents stated they are willing to pay more for the government to instill stricter regulations on plastics and chemicals in and around the products they ingest.

US voters call the goverment to act on reducing the number of chemicals in their food and its packaging.

US voters thoughts
Some 93% of voters agree, and 62% strongly agree that companies should do a better job removing harmful chemicals from consumer products. A further 54% say chemical regulations are not strong enough, 21% say they are about right, and 10% say they are too strong, making up the minority.

Participants were most concerned about chemicals ingested through water, food and food packaging. Ninety-three percent – and 57% strongly – agreed with the idea of removing harmful chemicals from where people live, work and go to school, even if it increases the costs of some products.

“People assume that what they buy is safe and that almost always isn’t the case. This survey reveals overwhelming support for the government to do a better job of protecting people from harmful chemicals,” says Tracey J. Woodruff, director of PRHE and the EaRTH Center at UCSF.

Environmental factors also contributed to the voter’s concern with chemicals, with 76% stating they were worried about the impact of chemicals and plastics on climate change.

Countries’ ban on chemicals
Other governments worldwide have stricter rules regarding the chemicals and plastics used in consumer products compared to the US. There were 374 active ingredients authorized for agricultural use in the US in 2016, 72 of which the EU had already banned. The US has the least amount of banned chemicals for food and cosmetics compared to the EU and UK.

The UK has 1,300 cosmetic ingredients banned, whereas the US only has 11. The EU has banned around 2,000 chemicals in the past 13 years, the most out of any region worldwide.

The European Plastic Pact requires companies that sign it to achieve 100% recyclable or reusable packaging and use at least 30% recycled content in any plastic by 2025. Many major companies have joined the pact, reducing the plastic they use in packaging.

However, in June The US Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions passed a bipartisan amendment to ban the use of PFAS (perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals in food packaging. The ingredient has been linked to many health issues, including a weakened immune system.

Meanwhile, the EU is planning to ban the use of PFAS and other harmful chemical groups, such as bisphenol and PVC, by 2030.

By Sabine Waldeck

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