December 29, 2006 FOOD AND COSMETIC DEVELOPMENTS IN 2007 Do you mind if I write: “I told you so?” In my first book, Poisons In Your Food, published in 1969 and still in print, I quoted Dr. Burrill Crohn, whose name is attached to the common inflammatory intestinal condition, Crohn’s Disease. He told an international meeting then the high incidence of intestinal diseases may reflect a “disturbed ecology of the human race.” He said that these disorders could not be laid to the stresses of the twentieth century because other centuries have also been marked by stress. He said “In the last decades of our ecology, our foods contain multiple chemical preservatives; our growing crops are sprayed with insecticides; we ingest multiple new drugs never before used..the pollution of our drinking water might also be a factor.” I pointed out in Poisons in Your Food, 89.3 percent of the fish---despite the fact that some of it is kept aboard boats from eight to sixteen days---is not inspected and that the 10.7 percent that is inspected is done on a purely voluntary basis by inspectors paid by the fishing industry. In 2004, in the sixth edition of my Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, I wrote: “Only a miniscule fraction of the food that enters our country by land, sea, and air is ever checked by our guardian agencies. Nearly two thirds of the fish, almost half the fruits, and more than 20 billion pound of produce we import per year, only 2 or 3 percent undergoes FDA inspection.” In 2007, you will continue to read about increasing outbreaks of intestinal infections from contaminated foods on our tables in the home and at restaurants and schools. You will undoubtedly suffer from mild intestinal upsets, yourself, which you will attribute to “something you ate”---but you probably will not report your distress to any health agency unless you are very, very ill. The media will continue in 2007 to describe the vulnerability of our food to terrorists because of that lack of inspection. There will still be too few inspectors and too little money to protect our food supply as I pointed out more than 38 years ago. What else will you be reading about food in 2007? Well, you will continue to be served hype about “functional foods” that pep you up. Drinks loaded with caffeine will increasingly be in the hands of fatigued students and weary workers. What are the side-effects? No agency has control over any of the dietary products that are being offered consumer who are concerned about weight, cholesterol, aging, sports fitness, and other physical conditions. That doesn’t mean such products may be more dangerous or even less effective than approved pharmaceuticals but who knows? You’ll be reading a lot about “functional foods” or “nutraceuticals” in 2007. I have written a lot about cosmeceuticals in the sixth edition of A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. The products in this category are aimed at actually affecting wrinkles, hair growth, skin lightening and other signs of aging. The definition of cosmetics, according the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act is that a cosmetic improves appearance, whereas a drug diagnoses, relieves, or cures a disease. If a cosmetic really works to change structure, it is a drug and is, by regulation, illegal if it has not undergone rigorous pre-market testing. If a cosmetic doesn’t work, than it is false advertising. Of course, all that doesn’t really matter. Consumers are now convinced signs of aging are terrible and they are willing to pay any price for products that promise a more youthful skin. There is no approval of cosmetics before or after they enter the market unless there are reports of severe or frequent reactions to a product after marketing. Senators Ted Kennedy and Frank Lautenberg have been trying to get legislation passed to ensure better regulation of cosmetics. And there have been some consumer groups, particularly The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics coalition in California, who are very active. Therefore, you may read more about efforts to regulate the multibillion dollar cosmetic industry in 2007. In the meantime, you will be reading in 2007 about a combination of nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals now called by some promoters nutricosmeceuticals which are aimed at making you believe that you can make your skin look better by ingesting or rubbing on dietary supplements. Will nutricosmeceuticals be more effective and less expensive than eating a balanced diet? Who knows? Stay tuned.
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