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Near-constant exposure to chemicals in food is taking a toll on Americans\u2019 health at all stages of development. Where is the FDA?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What’s new: <\/strong>From the first cup of coffee to the last late-night snack, Americans are exposed to hundreds or even thousands of chemicals in their food every day. These chemicals enter our diet as ingredients, additives and colors or from leaching from processing equipment and packaging. Some are harmless, but many are toxic, linked to serious health problems, including cancer. In a new joint article<\/strong><\/a> by experts at EDF and Consumer Reports<\/a>, we look at how the cumulative effects of chemicals in food harm our health over time and explain why the FDA already has the legal authority \u2014 and responsibility \u2014 to protect us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Why it matters: <\/strong>While we tend to think about the risks of one chemical at a time \u2014 BPA in our water bottles, PFAS in our cookware, methylene chloride in our decaf coffee \u2014 the realities of our modern, industrialized food system demand that we broaden our focus. With the average American facing hundreds of food-related chemical exposures a day, several of these chemicals can affect the same organs or bodily systems. Although the effect of each exposure might be small, the collective impact of many \u2014 whether over the short- or long-term \u2014 wages a war of attrition against our health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n