(CNN) - The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday revoked the use of seven food additives after environmentalists and food safety experts presented data showing six of the synthetic flavoring substances and flavor enhancers caused cancer in laboratory animals. The seventh synthetic flavor, styrene, was removed because manufacturers no longer use it.

The FDA decision is "an important victory for consumer confidence," Laura MacCleery, policy director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement. MacCleery added that the FDA action was a response to a 2016 petition and a subsequent lawsuit asking for an FDA response.

The six substances are synthetically derived anibenzophenone (benzophenone), ethyl acrylate, eugenyl methyl ether (methyl eugenol), myrcene, pulegone and pyridine. Benzophenone can no longer be used in rubber articles that come into contact with food, the FDA said.

Companies who use these six additives will have 24 months to identify suitable replacements in food products, the FDA said.

The additives, said MacCleery, were deemed safe by the FDA in 1964 and have been commonly used in candy, ice cream, chewing gum, baked goods, drinks and other foods since that time. The US Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program tested the additives and found they caused cancer in two species of animals, according to the petition.

The FDA noted that the six substances are used "in very small amounts" in the US marketplace, so their use results "in very low levels of exposures and low risk," and they "do not pose a risk to public health under the conditions of their intended use."

The FDA is required by law to remove any food additive that has been shown to cause cancer in animals or humans at any dose.

The six flavoring substances have a natural counterpart in food or nature, the FDA said, and the use of those natural ingredients is not affected by this ruling. </s> Oct. 5, 2018 -- The FDA has banned the use of seven synthetic substances used to flavor or enhance flavor in baked goods, ice cream, candy, beverages, and chewing gum.

Environmental and health advocacy groups sent data to the agency that showed that 6 of the substances cause cancer in lab animals, the FDA says, and the seventh flavor is being removed from approved additives as it is no longer used by industry.

On a label, the substances are listed as ''artificial flavors," rather than their specific names, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, one of the organizations that petitioned to get the flavors outlawed. The substances are typically added to simulate mint, cinnamon, and citrus.

The FDA also removed its approval for styrene, which has been abandoned by industry, the agency says.

In 2015, several organizations petitioned the FDA to ban the substances, pointing to data showing they cause cancer in lab animals. Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act's Delaney Clause, enacted in 1958, the FDA cannot allow the legal use of any food additive found to induce cancer in humans or animals at any dose.

In its statement announcing the decision on Oct. 5, the FDA notes that its ''rigorous scientific analysis has determined that they do not pose a risk to public health under the conditions of their intended use. The synthetic flavoring substances that are the subject of this petition are typically used in foods available in the U.S. marketplace in very small amounts and their use results in very low levels of exposure and low risk."

But, the agency says, the groups calling for the ban proved the “substances caused cancer in animals who were exposed to much higher doses. As such, the FDA is only revoking the listing of these six synthetic flavorings as a matter of law.”

The decision, the FDA says, does not affect the legal status of foods that contain the natural counterparts of the substances used to flavor foods and drink. </s> FDA Bans Use of 7 Synthetic Food Additives After Environmental Groups Sue

Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Rourke/AP Matt Rourke/AP

Ever heard of these food additives? Synthetically-derived benzophenone, ethyl acrylate, methyl eugenol, myrcene, pulegone, or pyridine?

These compounds can help mimic natural flavors and are used to infuse foods with mint, cinnamon and other flavors.

You've likely never seen them on food labels because food manufacturers are permitted to label them simply as "artificial flavors."

Now, the Food and Drug Administration has announced these compounds will no longer be allowed to be used as food additives. The FDA is giving manufacturers time to remove them from the food supply.

The decision comes in response to a petition brought by environmental and consumer groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Food Safety, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"We think this is a win for consumers," says Erik Olson of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

"Our petition laid out the science" linking these flavoring chemicals to cancer in animals, Olson says. "The law is very clear that any chemical that causes cancer is not supposed to be added to our food supply," Olson told us.

The FDA had concluded that these flavoring compounds do not pose a health risk to consumers. "The synthetic flavoring substances that are the subject of this petition are typically used in foods available in the U.S. marketplace in very small amounts and their use results in very low levels of exposures and low risk," concludes an FDA statement on the petition.

"While the FDA's recent exposure assessment of these substances does not indicate that they pose a risk to public health under the conditions of their intended use, the petitioners provided evidence that these substances caused cancer in animals who were exposed to much higher doses," the FDA statement says.

The federal law spelled out in the decades-old Delaney Clause, which is an amendment to the Food, Drugs, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, stipulates that if a substance is found to cause cancer in humans or animals, it cannot be used as a food additive.

The FDA says it will de-list six of the synthetic compounds from its food additives list, given the evidence that these substances caused cancer in animal laboratory studies. The FDA says the seventh synthetic flavor, styrene, is being de-listed because it is no longer used by the industry.

The Natural Resources Defense Council says the compounds that are being de-listed have likely been used in a variety of food products — from ice cream and baked goods to beer and gum. NRDC's Olson says it's tough to know how widely they're used, or in which products, because manufacturers are not required to disclose this information.

The trade association that represents flavor manufacturers, The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association, released a statement underscoring the FDA's exposure assessment that concluded the flavor compounds do not pose a risk to people under the conditions of their intended use. "FEMA believes that the Delaney Clause demonstrates a limited interpretation of animal studies and cancer by failing to address risk or relevance in humans," the statement says.

The FDA, in its constituent update on this action, says it will give manufacturers 24 months to "identify suitable replacement ingredients and reformulate their food products." </s> The global food additives market is prophesied to hold a direct relation with the food and beverages sector as a notable end user during the forecast years. With no real alternatives available for food additives, the growth in the food and beverages sector could positively influence that of the world market. Since there are a significant number of companies contributing to the food industry and broad scope of products available, the international food additives market is prognosticated to showcase a fragmented nature. Health concerns such as obesity among teenagers and even adults could pave the way for functional food additives in the market. The demand for natural food additives is anticipated to rise at a telling degree as consumers become health conscious and aware about the harmful effects of synthetic food colors.

According to market research cognoscenti, the worldwide food additives market is expected to surge at a CAGR of 3.4% between the years 2015 and 2021. By the end of the forecast period, the analysts foresee the market to stand at almost US$40.0 bn.

Europe and Asia Pacific to Compete Nip and Tuck

The international food additives market could witness a fierce competition between Europe and Asia Pacific as both the regions take hold of a closer share. Although Europe held a lion’s share in the recent past, this trend is expected to see a change as Asia Pacific makes a good comeback in 2021. By the concluding year of the forecast period, Asia Pacific could win the competition with a mere 0.5% share margin. Countries such as India are envisioned to be particularly impressed by food additives as they find an extensive usage in the processed food sector. Food additives are studied to upgrade the shelf life of processed food products and also enhance their appearance and taste.

Fat Replacers to Follow Lead of Flavors and Enhancers Stimulated by Taste Desires

Flavors and enhancers are envisaged to be a highly promising product type securing a major part of the revenue share, i.e. US$12.92 bn, by 2021. The market growth for flavors and enhancers could be propelled as a rising number of consumers are allured by the different types of taste in different cuisines. The soaring demand for healthier food types is also foretold to set the tone for the flavors and enhancers food additives market.

Standing second to the global food additives market for flavors and enhancers, fat replacers could garner a handsome share during the course of the forecast period. This growth is analyzed to be probably attributed to the increasing incidences of health problems associated with hyper-obesity and diabetes.

The problems encountered when working with natural additives and strict guidelines formulated for the use of food additives are projected to suppress the market growth. Howbeit, players could even benefit from products that have a dying demand in the global food additives market. For instance, the growth of synthetic additives is still predicted to prevail in less developed countries such as Malaysia, China, and India, owing to the elevating demand for processed food and beverages. </s> Using artificial sweeteners causes biochemical changes in the body and actually throw off the body's ability to monitor how many calories we consume. FDA-approved artificial sweeteners and sport supplements have now been found to be toxic to digestive gut microbes, according to a new paper published in Molecules Artificial sweeteners are one of the most common food additives worldwide, frequently consumed in diet and zero-calorie sodas and other products. Large examinations have tracked biochemical changes in the body using high-throughput metabolomicsThe collaborative study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore examined the relative toxicity of six artificial sweeteners:1. aspartame 2. sucralose 3. saccharine4. neotame 5. advantame6. acesulfame potassium-k and 10 sport supplements containing these artificial sweeteners."We modified bioluminescent E. coli bacteria, which luminesce when they detect toxicants and act as a sensing model representative of the complex microbial system," says Prof. Ariel Kushmaro, John A. Ungar Chair in Biotechnology in the Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, and member of the Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev. "This is further evidence that consumption of artificial sweeteners adversely affects gut microbial activity which can cause a wide range of health issues."Artificial sweeteners are used in countless food products and soft drinks with reduced sugar content. Many people consume this added ingredient without their knowledge. Moreover, artificial sweeteners have been identified as emerging environmental pollutants, and can be found in drinking and surface water, and groundwater aquifers.According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 11 to 27 percent of ingested sucralose is absorbed by the human body (FDA 1998). Research published by the manufacturer of sucralose (Roberts 2000) shows that when 8 healthy male adults where given sucralose (in 1 mg/kg amounts), between 10.4% and 30.6% of the sucralose was absorbed. In addition, 1.6% to 12.2% of the sucralose accumulates in the body.Aspartame is a multi-potential carcinogen, even consumed daily at 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. That is a lower quantity than the maximum recommended by the FDA (50 mg/kg of body weight) and the European Union (40 mg/kg).It increases the incidence of malignant tumours in rats. In the females it increases leukaemia and lymphomas, as well as cancerous cells in the pelvis and urethra. In the males, it especially increases the incidence of malignant tumours in peripheral nerves."The results of this study might help in understanding the relative toxicity of artificial sweeteners and the potential of negative effects on the gut microbial community as well as the environment.Furthermore, the tested bioluminescent bacterial panel can potentially be used for detecting artificial sweeteners in the environment," says Prof. Kushmaro. </s> La Croix Accused Of Using Artificial Flavors And Insecticides

According to USA Today a lawsuit was recently filed against LaCroix’s parent company alleging the sparkling water famously advertised as including “all natural” ingredients includes an ingredient used in cockroach insecticide in addition to other artificial ingredients.

Beaumont Costales filed the suit on behalf of a female customer Lenora Rice, and claims testing revealed the alleged synthetic ingredients. “LaCroix in fact contains ingredients that have been identified by the Food and Drug Administration as synthetic…These chemicals include limonene, which can cause kidney toxicity and tumors; linalool propionate, which is used to treat cancer; and linalool, which is used in cockroach insecticide.

“The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers “natural” on a food label to be truthful and non-misleading when ‘nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added,’” National Beverage Corp. said in a statement earlier this week while denying the allegations and claims all ingredients in LaCroix sparkling waters are all 100 percent natural. </s> An outbreak of synthetic marijuana laced with rat poison has killed three and sickened more than 100 in the US Midwest, with officials worried about potentially more cases to come.

Synthetic marijuana is made with chemicals applied to dried plant material, and sold in small foil packages with street names such as Spice and K2. It is also produced in liquid form.

Officials in three Midwestern states are raising the alarm over recent outbreaks of illnesses caused by brodifacoum, a lethal blood thinner used in rat poison, which was in the synthetic pot that victims consumed.

At least some of the poisonous drug was sold in Chicago.

In Illinois, a third death linked to the outbreak was reported Monday. More than 100 other people have been hospitalized with severe symptoms, such as coughing up blood and internal bleeding.

A handful of other people have been sickened in neighboring states -- Wisconsin to the north and Indiana to the southeast.

"Each day we've seen the number of cases rise," Nirav Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, warned in a statement.

"Synthetic cannabinoids are unsafe. They are not regulated and people don't know what chemicals may be in them, like rat poison," Shah said.

The illegal drugs are sold in convenience stores, gas stations and online. Users smoke the drug or inhale it in vaping devices and e-cigarettes.

Police charged three suspects with selling the drug at a Chicago convenience store. Investigators allege the drugs had traces of rat poison.

Fouad Masoud, Jamil Abdelrahman Jad Allah and Adil Khan Mohammed were arrested on April 1 and charged with federal drug offenses.

"While efforts are underway to get the contaminated drugs out of circulation, it's possible they could re-emerge," Shah said. </s> Hospitals around the country are scrambling to stockpile vials of a critical drug — even postponing operations or putting off chemotherapy treatments — because the country’s only two suppliers have run out.

The medicine? Sodium bicarbonate solution. Yes, baking soda.

Sodium bicarbonate is the simplest of drugs — its base ingredient, after all, is found in most kitchen cabinets — but it is vitally important for all kinds of patients whose blood has become too acidic. It is found on emergency crash carts and is used in open-heart surgery and as an antidote to certain poisons. Patients whose organs are failing are given the drug, and it is used in some types of chemotherapy. A little sodium bicarbonate can even take the sting out of getting stitches.

“As I talk to colleagues around the country, this is really a problem we’re all struggling with right now,” said Mark Sullivan, the head of pharmacy operations at Vanderbilt University Hospital and Clinics in Nashville.

Hospitals have been struggling with a dwindling supply of the medicine for months — one of the suppliers, Pfizer, has said that it had a problem with an outside supplier but that the situation worsened a few weeks ago. Pfizer and the other manufacturer, Amphastar, have said they don’t know precisely when the problem will be fixed, but it will not be before June for some forms of the drug, and in August or later for other formulations. </s> (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP). FILE - In this June 29, 2016 file photo, a man holds a bag of synthetic marijuana in Houston. In a report released Tuesday, April 10, 2018, fake marijuana likely contaminated with rat poison has killed three ...

Fake marijuana likely contaminated with rat poison has killed three people in Illinois and caused severe bleeding in more than 100 others, including a few in four other states.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has alerted doctors nationwide that patients with severe, unexplained bleeding may be additional cases.

The CDC is helping Illinois authorities investigate the outbreak in that state, which began in early March. Illinois reported seven more cases on Tuesday, bringing the nationwide total to at least 116.

Several patients and samples of so-called synthetic marijuana from Illinois have tested positive for a lethal ingredient often used in rat poison, the CDC and Illinois authorities said.

Symptoms include coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody noses, bleeding gums and internal bleeding. CDC's alert says outside Illinois, emergency rooms in Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin and Maryland have treated affected patients since March 10.

Illnesses have been linked to fake marijuana before but this is the first outbreak involving rat poison contamination, said the CDC's Renee Funk. Those sickened require hospitalization and treatment with vitamin K to control bleeding, she said.

"This is an unusual outbreak," Funk said Tuesday, adding that is unclear how the contamination occurred.

Fake marijuana, also called synthetic cannabinoids, contains man-made chemicals that produce a high similar to marijuana. It is sold in smoke shops and other stores as liquids that can be used in e-cigarettes or in dried plant material that can be smoked. Nicknames include K2, Spice and Kush.

"The number of cases continues to go up each day," Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said Tuesday. "Synthetic cannabinoids in general are not safe and this is one example of not knowing what chemicals are in the product. We are telling people don't use synthetic cannabinoids."

The federal government and many states have banned some of these products or specific ingredients, but the CDC says manufacturers skirt these laws by creating new products or labeling them "not for human consumption."

Tests on fake pot bought at a Chicago convenience store by undercover agents detected the rat poison ingredient, the U.S. attorney's office said in a news release. Three store employees were arrested and face federal drug charges.

Illnesses from fake marijuana have increased in recent years; a CDC report noted at least 456 cases between 2010 and 2015. The products are up to 100 times more potent than the active ingredient in marijuana and severe reactions have included seizures, coma and delirium.

Follow AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner on Twitter at @LindseyTanner. Her work can be found here .

The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans the usage of seven artificial flavors as food additives. Six of them cause cancer in animals when used in "much higher" doses than the conditions of their intended use.