Health Groups Press FDA in Court to Ban Food Package Chemicals

Whether federal regulators erred in denying a petition to ban the use of phthalates chemicals in food packaging was the subject of debate before a three-judge federal appellate panel Monday.

The Food and Drug Administration arbitrarily decided to continue authorizing the food industry’s use of the chemicals despite strong evidence those substances exposed consumers to “severe health risks,” Earthjustice attorney Katherine O’Brien told the panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.

Earthjustice and a coalition of health advocacy groups since 2016 have petitioned the FDA to revoke the authorization of phthalates that come in contact with ...