Opinion: New York Must Pass the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act 

New Yorkers have a right to know what s in our food This decree is a step in that direction A supermarket in Inwood Adi Talwar City Limits New York missed a crucial opportunity to prioritize community soundness and strengthen our food safety laws this year Like other states turning their attention to the dangers in our food supply we had the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act on our docket a bill that would mandate new transparency requirements for chemicals used in foods sold statewide and ban three harmful food additives But food industry giants have lobbied against it saying that basic accountability will disrupt small businesses In actuality the bill costs us nothing and only demands transparency from large manufacturers retailers and suppliers As president of the Bodega and Small Business Group BSBG and a lifelong Bronx bodega owner myself I sponsorship this bill Small businesses must get this act passed at the very next available opportunity to make sure large companies aren t putting unsafe products on our shelves New York families deserve safe food options and it s time for the food industry to commit to fulfilling this promise function d u ac var s d createElement 'script' s type 'text javascript' s src 'https a omappapi com app js api min js' s async true s dataset user u s dataset campaign ac d getElementsByTagName 'head' appendChild s document 'u kmqsczew vunxutxmd' Our federal food safety laws remain dangerously outdated leaving consumers in the dark about toxic chemicals in their food Mega-corporations have capitalized on loopholes to get around U S Food and Drug Administration oversight by secretly designating food chemicals as generally recognized as safe or GRAS Historically GRAS designation was reserved for common ingredients like vinegar and spices But now after skipping safety reviews altogether large companies are self-certifying their products as GRAS and placing them on our shelves making consumers purchase items without a clue about their hidden risks Additives like Red No potassium bromate and propylparaben are already banned or severely restricted in other nations because of their links to cancer hormone disruption and other serious conditions But in America these chemicals remain in countless household foods including our cereals beverages candies and popular treats for kids who are already more susceptible to developmental delays Sponsored by Senator Brian Kavanagh and Assemblymember Dr Anna Kelles this bill directly restricts these chemicals in foods while introducing a simple online disclosure requirement strictly for large companies adding secret chemicals to products and circumventing FDA safety review Once companies submit sufficient evidence the State Department of Agriculture and Markets merely publicizes the chemicals for population physical condition authorities including the FDA to flag any harmful ones in use This regulation doesn t affect proven GRAS ingredients packaging or product labeling and includes exemptions for small businesses with fewer than employees and retailers It s a commonsense protection for children and families that helps restore trust and keep New Yorkers safe So why aren t we jumping at the opportunity Big Food helped strike the bill down We met with industry leaders and requested more details in order to join their opposition memo They framed the bill as an expensive set of rules that would impact all food businesses despite its exemptions We received no further information however they added my business logo to their memo without my reconfirmation I m not alone On one hand industry assures us that their food is perfectly safe On the other they re trying to convince us that it ll be costly to show proof that their food is safe for us to sell and even disrupt small businesses and low-income communities This blatant double-dealing is the very epitome of the kind of secrecy and predatory business practices this bill would outlaw As a South Bronx native who opened my first bodega at the age of I know how a large number of New Yorkers struggle to access fresh healthy food Our borough already faces the highest rates of food insecurity and chronic diet-related diseases in the state in specific neighborhoods bodegas even outnumber supermarkets to It s why BSBG is doing our part to meet families where they are working directly with population to increase healthy food options at corner stores through our Hunts Point Healthy Bodega Pilot After reviewing more details we stand ready to assistance the bill and the wellness of our customers Families already have enough on their plates when trying to provide safe nutritious food for their households without having to stress about secret toxins Yet in the borough that ranked dead last in medical outcomes for the th consecutive year certain in the industry find it appropriate to ramp up a misinformation campaign when small business owners are ready to guarantee food transparency for our customers We cannot compromise on the fitness of our children and families Letting corporations claim that their food is safe without ever showing proof only defies reason New Yorkers have a right to know what s in our food This bill is a step in that direction Next year Albany must do everything in its power to block out the noise and pass the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act right away Francisco Marte is the president of the New York Bodegas Association and founder of the Bodega and Small Business Group BSBG The post Opinion New York Must Pass the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act appeared first on City Limits