The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a ban effective Jan. 4 on the use of certain chemicals used in pizza boxes and other similar products, after studies show that these have potential risk to our health.
This was the immediate response of the organization, after a petition filed by some concerned parties such as National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Center for Environmental Health and the Center for Food Safety, the Food Safety News reported.
According to the petition submitted, the three chemicals which can cause health issues are "diethanolamine salts of mono- and bis phosphates, pentanoic acid and perfluoroalkyl substituted phosphate ester acids. These chemicals are mentioned to be dangerous to the health in a 2010 FDA review.
These were used in pizza boxes so that the oils from the pizza will not be absorbed by the container and make it soggy and without form. According to the FDA, some substances that are similar in structure with these compounds was proven to have perils in the overall health of the public.
"The FDA's ban is an important first step - but just a first step - toward improving the safety of our food supply. Now it should act on our petition to ban the seven other chemicals we believe - and government agencies such as the toxicology program at the National Institutes of Health have found - cause cancer," NRDC director Erik Olson told Food Safety News.
