

Lisa Lefferts, Senior Scientist – Center for Science in the Public Interest

Saying the U.S. food supply is poisonous and is killing people may sound sensational. It’s also true.

In the United States, a loaf of bread can contain additives with industrial applications that also appear in things like yoga mats, pesticides, hair straighteners, petroleum products, and even explosives. Some of these chemicals, used as whiteners, dough conditioners and rising agents, have been proven to be harmful to human health. The guardian article “Banned bread: why does the US allow additives that Europe says are unsafe?” takes a look at the history of, and some approaches to addressing, this important health issue.