Families should reduce exposure to synthetic chemicals found in food colorings, preservatives and packaging materials as a growing body of research shows they may harm children's health, according to a policy statement and technical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics released online.
The statement also suggests improvements to the food additives regulatory system, including updating the scientific foundation of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration safety assessment program and retesting all previously approved chemicals.
Q&A with the lead author
We asked Leonardo Trasande, Council on Environmental Health member and lead author of the policy statement, to tell us more about these concerns.
Q: What are the growing number of studies showing us?
A: Over the past two decades, an accumulating body of science suggests some food additives can interfere with a child's hormones, growth and development.
Potentially harmful effects of food additives are of special concern for children because they are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do and are still growing and developing. An early injury to their organ systems can have lifelong and permanent consequences.
Q: What additives does the statement highlight?
A: The additives of most concern, based on rising research evidence cited in the report, include: Bisphenols, such as BPA, used to harden plastic containers and line metal cans, can act like estrogen in the body which may potentially change the timing of puberty, decrease, fertility, increase body fat and affect the nervous and immune systems. BPA is now banned in baby bottles.
Phthalates, which make plastic and vinyl tubes used in industrial food production flexible, may affect male genital development, increase childhood obesity and contribute to cardiovascular disease. In 2017, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use or some phthalates in child-care products such as teething rings.
【小题1】According to the American Academy of Pediatrics' report, people should _______to cope with the problem of food additives.| A．reduce the usage of food additives and establish new food protection system |
| B．update the food safety assessment program and check the approved chemicals again |
| C．improve the food additives regulatory system and retest all approved chemicals |
| D．try to avoid food additives in daily life and revise relevant rules on food additives |
| A．children are more sensitive to what they eat and drink than adults |
| B．children usually eat and drink more unhealthy food than adults |
| C．children are just too young and weak to protect themselves |
| D．children's organs are easier to be damaged and hard to recover |
| A．2. | B．7. | C．8. | D．1. |
