Post by the Scribe on Feb 16, 2023 7:30:09 GMT
Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute
www.foodingredient.info/
Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute - What and Who We Are
The Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute is the only federally recognized 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization in the United States (US) devoted entirely to food ingredient safety, education, and research. Up until now, there has been no organization in the U.S. devoted to conducting research on food ingredients Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). With the Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute (FIHRI), we now have a mechanism for supporting this badly needed research. There are numerous GRAS food additives and ingredients in our food supply that recent research indicates are factors in the development of behavioral disorders such as autism and ADHD and chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. More research is needed to find out how these various food ingredients and chemicals lead to these adverse health effects.
There are many stakeholders involved in the food distribution system and all have differing views on the severity of the problem. Our views are in alignment with many other public health professionals and organizations. For example, our views on mercury in the food supply are consistent with those of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP recommends eliminating mercury exposures from the child's environment, including diet (1). The AAP also recommends removing certain mercury containing food colors from a hyperactive or inattentive child's diet (2). We agree with these recommendations! Mercury is a neurotoxin and has no place in our children's diet despite the fact that it has been found in the most common GRAS food ingredient in the food supply by both American and Canadian researchers (3, 4,).
We think more should be done to educate consumers about the contaminant problems in our food supply. We are working with stakeholders to develop an on line educational research tool to educate health providers so they may help consumers learn about the problems in our food supply and provide them with the information they need to make informed choices about the foods they buy and consume. We rely entirely on donations and membership dues to fund our work. Your membership dues and donations will support our research efforts to identify which food ingredients and chemicals are causing the most harm to human health and development.
To find out more about who we are, please visit the links under Our Supporters.
References
(1). Goldman, L.R., Shannon, M.W., Committee on
Environmental Health. Technical Report:
Mercury in the Environment:Implications for Pediatricians.
Pediatrics. 2001;108;197.
pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/108/1/197.full.pdf
(2). Schonwald, A. ADHD and Food Additives Revisited.
AAP Grand Rounds. 2008;19;17.
www.feingold.org/Research/PDFstudies/AAP08.pdf
(3). Dufault et al. Mercury from chlor-alkali plants:
measured concentrations in food product sugar.
Environmental Health. 2009, 8:2.
www.ehjournal.net/content/pdf/1476-069X-8-2.pdf
(4). Rideout, K. Comment on the paper by Dufault et al.
Mercury in foods containing high fructose corn syrup in
Canada. Environmental Health. 2010-07-21.
www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/2/comments
Copyright May 2021 by Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, PO Box 1055, Naalehu, HI, 96772
Email questions or concerns to Renee Dufault at rdufault@foodingredient.info