Food - Prove that it is safe vs prove that it is dangerous

Across time, there have been lots of threads about different additives being added to US foods, which are banned in Europe. The main difference comes in the approach, how different food chemicals are legalized.

In Europe the general approach is that before anything is allowed to be added to the food, firstly it needs to be proved to be safe. It might involve long time of study, but once it is approved, it is near-certain that the chemical is relatively safe. This is generally the approach medical industry uses as well.

In the US on the other hand, the additives need to proved to be dangerous. The companies can start adding chemicals (according to relatively relaxed law) near-immediately. Only after decades, when the ill-effects start happening and lots of people fall ill, get cancer or worse, the chemicals might be banned. Here is a good article on the matter: Think Those Chemicals Have Been Tested?

In my personal opinion, every chemical in our foods or different products we use (from shampoos to cosmetics) needs to proven to be safe. Otherwise, the consequences have the possibility of affecting the lives of many people while companies rake in the additional profits. At the moment, US is working hard to try to convince EU to relax its laws regarding safety, so that the more profitable products could be sold. I sincerely hope, the lobbying does not work.

What do you think?

a reply to: Cabin

I think that the US has alot of mouths to feed.

A saying comes to mind.
"Shoot first ask later"

That

a reply to: Cabin

I read something like this a few days ago in a thread. I am from Europe, my impression is the opposite. Food wise, the FDA seems to be more strict than Europe, except the GMOs. This impression could be based on wrong perception, though.

Drug wise however, the US seems to be very liberal. From what I have noticed, you guys can have drugs and amounts, that we never would get here.

What ever happen to Fresca. As a kid in the 60's that stuff tasted too good to be true. For some reason it disappeared from the market. But it most likely is back on the market. I always thought that stuff poison in a way because it made ( me ) hyper all day long.

The Coca-Cola Company described the original Fresca soft drink formula as "a citrus-based, sugar free product - a soft drink, a low-calorie beverage, a mixer, all in one" and said the Fresca name was picked because "it (the word) is "short, memorable and distinctive".[2] Fresca was the second artificially sweetened, low-calorie product launched by The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola's Tab, an artificially sweetened, low-calorie cola made its debut in 1963.

originally posted by: Cabin
In Europe the general approach is that before anything is allowed to be added to the food, firstly it needs to be proved to be safe.

By "Europe". I assume you mean the EU. In the EU, there are indeed many food regulations, but what is "safe"? It's no secret that some practices in the EU are shoddy and questionable. Indeed, EU food standards are below that of the UK now that the EU is allowing livestock to be fed carcasses of other livestock, a practice that led to BSE.

One area most European countries do well is food labelling, and in the UK (at least) there has always been public pressure for good animal welfare and such. Sadly, animal welfare in the US and some other EU countries is pretty poor, and no amount of European self-righteousness can hide that fact.

Tha Potato IS poisonous !


most thing are If you eat to much! ? oh you are yanks...

Foods are tricky as what may seem great for me will make someone else sick. I was just thinking the other day about the "ground ivy" that grows as a weed in lawns around here. It has grown enough to begin to bloom now and so I noticed it as the lawn will need mowing soon. I used to drink it in a tea as a tonic knowing full well that it can be poisonous if consumed in large amounts. I would add wild violets and a few other "weeds" to the brew, who knows what that combination was doing besides giving me a boost.

Lately I have been giving GMOs a lot more consideration as I am seeing the notice, "Contains bioengineered food ingredients" on many snack foods (not good for you anyways), I even saw it on bottled water one time. I have always thought that since humans eat such a variety of things that if you mix and match some of the genetics, it won't mean much unless you have a food allergy to a GMO. However, since the pandemic I have had zero faith in anything the FDA approves as they seem like a corrupted agency.

Personally I am going to go with more direct from the local farm type foods where I can. We already go to one farmer's market regularly, but there are many others along with Amish food stands around here. There are also many people selling free ranging chicken eggs going for as much as $3 a doz, a little high priced but the quality of the store eggs is horrible in comparison.

I detest GMO food products.

a reply to: TDDAgain

It all goes back to regulatory framework. My husband has worked with regulatory regimes all over the world in his job which is pharma, albeit animal pharma.

The US is one concise and coordinated framework. The EU is a mess. It's a welter of different, overlapping regimes based in the different countries. It presents a united front, but behind the scenes, it's anything but. So when you say this is tougher; this is looser, that's part of where the perception comes from. You're seeing the effects of all the different entities who have come together or are coming together (not even peacefully) to try to make their rules. If you want strict, almost no one is more oppressive than Japan where they will reject entire lots because one label is wrong, and by wrong, I mean scuffed or crooked, not printed incorrectly.

Generally, there are two or three regulatory regimes that other countries who have less developed or mature frameworks will tend to adopt. The US framework is one. I think the Chinese framework is increasingly becoming another. And some countries do use the EU framework.

They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

a reply to: ketsuko
The EU is a mess. I have a really bad opinion about it. Thank you for giving me some insight, it now makes a lot more sense.

a reply to: TDDAgain

The US has had a more or less cohesive regime in place for a very long time. The EU is much more entrenched as different countries, and that's the main difference. They're trying to theoretically create the type of overarching system the US has, but instead of most of the states never having been their own nations, all of them have and have a long legacy of that type of independence. It isn't something you erase in a few decades. Recent trends are to just add it to the pile of rules if someone has a problem in some way which creates its own pile of problems because this can get highly contradictory or even at times pretty impossible.

a reply to: ketsuko

That reads like I see the EU. A bunch of idiots but also cold calculated moves sometimes.

It undermines the sovereign nature of each country. So if they don't like something, like our non existent speed limits, that we successfully resist doing away for decades now. They just will make a circumventing law like "a car can never put out more CO2 (add whatever they come up with) than amount X" and that is breached by driving fast.

I am sick and tired having to support a system that lends out money like it's candy, where I worked hard before and paid taxes. I just say Greece financial crisis.

I understand the OP is about additives and what not in food. However food itself, no matter what form, as long as it is adding calories to your diet it could be considered a bad thing.

The less you eat the longer you live and the healthier you’ll be. Now, I’m not saying starve yourself in any way, but humans really aren’t meant to eat more than once a day or even two days. This is why intermittent fasting is so effective and productive for our bodies. I practice 24 hour fasting, so I only eat once a day and it’s usually around 6pm so I don’t have anything sitting in my stomach while I’m sleeping. Outside of solid foods it’s all water, black coffee, or tea.

The other side of eating less and having less micro oxygens breaking down your dna, causing aging, is exactly what you’re pointing out. When you do eat, don’t fill your belly with a bunch of BS that isn’t natural.

If you keep those couple of things in mind, along with proper sleep and exercise, it’s hard not to be healthy.

a reply to: Allaroundyou

Good point, can't really make comparisons.

Large population over a very large land mass is a large economy catering to a very big business. a reply to: TDDAgain

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

The farmers market is pretty impressive, seen a few in recent years, seem to be becoming very popular over there. Good quality stuff locally grown veg and breads and meats and dairies and alot of stuff you just don't find in the supermarkets. They're like an American version of your everyday local market in Europe but the American supermarket way. I thought it was great.
It's like the best of stuff, bread you wouldn't even dream of.

a reply to: Narvasis
It's a little silly though, being off topic and all that. Nobody wants to starve and we can't all go running around the place four and a half hours a day...

They don't show yanks eating Kiwi with a spoon on TV,
Kiwi are very nice...a reply to: buddha

originally posted by: GRAVELED
a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

The farmers market is pretty impressive, seen a few in recent years, seem to be becoming very popular over there. Good quality stuff locally grown veg and breads and meats and dairies and alot of stuff you just don't find in the supermarkets. They're like an American version of your everyday local market in Europe but the American supermarket way. I thought it was great.
It's like the best of stuff, bread you wouldn't even dream of.

Yes, I would think so, however, I am talking about some smaller farms and homesteads, not an organized market at a single location, you'd have to look around and travel some. I do have a fondness for the super market model, when I was a small child, I fancied myself a super hero named "Supermarket". However, I had the experience earlier in life of the Detroit Farmer's Market and Greek Town markets near downtown Detroit as well.

Also, have you been cancelled? Did ATS pull the plug? Flat line? -----------------------------