What’s Hot: FDA bans BVO in all food and beverages
On July 3rd, 2024, the FDA announced that BVO (bromine vegetable oil) will be completely banned for use in food and beverages in the United States effective August 2, 2024, although corporations have until 2027 to comply. It previously was allowed in small amounts, less than 15 parts per million, because of its stabilizing properties for fruit flavoring. While its use has become less common following its removal from the FDA’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) list in the late 1960s, many soft drinks still use it despite studies illuminating its negative health effects including bromine toxicity, and residues in body and organ fat that can lead to thyroid disruption. BVO has also been found to create changes in heart cells, impaired behavioral development, and impaired growth in infants when transferred by a nursing mother.
Food Policy Watchdog: June 7th was World Food Safety Day!
On June 7th, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) celebrated World Food Safety Day. The theme for 2024 was “Prepare for the Unexpected,” because of the effects of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on local, national, and international food systems.
The theme emphasizes that food safety issues can occur at any time and must be managed immediately to prevent emergencies. The WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety states that “our global food system is only as strong as its weakest link,” highlighting the effects of humanitarian crises and natural disasters on the global food system.
The WHO estimates that 1.6 million people are getting sick every day (roughly 600 million people per year) because they consumed unsafe food, In 2019, the World Bank reported that $110 billion in productivity and medical expenses are lost each year because of unsafe food. Highlighted facts from the WHO include:
- One in 10 people worldwide fall ill from contaminated food each year
- More than 200 diseases are caused by eating contaminated food
- 40 percent of the foodborne disease burden is carried by children under the age of five
Farm Bill Update:
The 2023 Farm Bill continues to be delayed, and the 2018 Farm Bill extension runs out in September. In May, the House Agriculture Committee passed their version of the Farm Bill and passed it along to the Senate’s Ag Committee to do the same. There are seven remaining steps, including its passage in the Senate Ag Committee, for the bill to become law. Although the House’s proposal contains some wins, such as pre-approval for funding for farmers, helping farmers to establish legal claims to inherited land to which they do not have legal title, and a baseline increase in funding for conservation programming. However, Michelle Hughes, the co-executive director of the National Young Farmers Coalition, states that these wins are “just honestly crumbs in comparison to the losses that we see.”
The losses are devastating on many fronts. Those relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will suffer a $30 billion cut over the next 10 years, and the bill provides nothing in terms of promoting equitable land access. Currently, 98 percent of private farmland is white-owned because of USDA policies throughout the 20th century that decreased Black farm ownership by 90 percent. Nor would it help with efforts to reduce and manage the effects of climate change, something that the proposed Senate bill (not passed) would make provisions for.
If the new bill is not passed by the time the 2018 bill’s extension runs out, it will (most likely) be extended again until Congress is able to pass a new one.
More:
- Farm Bill Politics 2024 are Leaning Toward Project 2025 (Farm and Dairy)
- Farm Bill Climate Side-by-Sides (2024) (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)
- Exclusive: House unveils $1.5 trillion farm bill (Politico)
- Despite Progress, Farm Bill Passage Growing More Unlikely in 2024 (Farm Policy)
- Op-Ed: Farmers of Color Need Climate Action Now. The Farm Bill Is Our Best Hope. (Environmental Health News)
- Senate Farm Bill Proposal Makes Climate a USDA Priority (Environmental Working Group)
Quote of the Month:
“While food production and access is important, it’s also important that all New Yorkers–from students to elders–see themselves as climate stewards and their connections to the land for healing and respite as well as fresh food sources becomes stronger.” – Qiana Mickie, executive director of NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture
