111 chemicals 'secretly' added to foods, drinks and supplements without alerting FDA

A new investigation into what goes into Americans food, drink and supplements warns that at least 111 chemicals have been added to them without the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) being informed.

Do you know exactly what goes into the things you eat and drink? Many of us would like to think we read all of the ingredients and knew what we're actually eating but the truth is probably closer to 'no'.

The new research published by the Environmental Working Group warns that cereals, snack bars, energy drinks and many other products on the shelves may contain unknown health risks.

They found that manufacturers had approved at least 111 chemicals and declared them safe without talking to the FDA or getting their verdict on whether or not something really was safe.

Something appearing on a list of the chemicals does not mean it is harmful but many of them appear in common food products.

There's things in your food and drink the FDA don't know about and can't know if they're safe (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

According to the investigation the food manufacturers found a loophole where they could certify a chemical was 'generally recognised as safe', or 'GRAS', without FDA approval.

It's customary to notify the FDA and provide publicly available and widely accepted scientific evidence something is 'generally recognised as safe', but it's a voluntary thing so the manufacturers can legally decide for themselves something is safe.

This creates chemicals which are 'secret GRAS' where they've been given the thumbs up by the people making and selling them.

Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, said: "Manufacturers now routinely exploit this GRAS loophole — it’s fast becoming more ‘generally recognized as secret’ instead of ‘generally recognized as safe.

"Because the government has never reviewed these chemicals, consumers have no way of knowing if they are safe or carry unknown health risks."

Tara flour was one of these 'secret GRAS' ingredients, until hundreds of people got sick, over 40 had to have their gallbladders removed and it was banned (Getty Stock Photo)

Some of these chemicals have been going into people's foods for years, and the EWG warns that in 2022 almost 400 people got seriously ill after eating products made with tara flour which is one of these 'secret GRAS' ingredients.

Food poisoning was the main health complaint from eating lentil and leek crumbles that contained the ingredient or drinking mango and pineapple smoothies, but others had liver and gallbladder problems and over 40 people had to have their gallbladders removed as a result.

The FDA only became aware of the dangers of tara flour in food after hundreds of people became ill from the ingredient which a manufacturer had marked as safe without consulting them.

A couple of years after the serious illnesses caused Food Safety News reported that the FDA had now investigated the matter and declared tara flour was not on the 'generally recognised as safe' list.

They banned it from being used in food and drink in the US, and from being imported.