Near the turn of the century, the citizens of Iceland – people known for political action when needed – took to the streets to fight a serious injustice: They could only get the European version of Cocoa Puffs. Because the Cocoa Puffs from America were sweeter, that’s what they wanted. I was told this secondhand and can’t verify the details of when and how it happened, but I was assured that the protest was successful: The government once again imported U.S. Cocoa Puffs into Iceland. The people had won.
Americans visiting or living abroad soon notice that the brands they grew up with, from Coca-Cola to Frosted Flakes, taste different in Europe. While some disparities are due to consumer preference, with many Europeans considering American food to have too much sugar, others come down to a philosophical difference in approaching food safety.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the body responsible for protecting the American public’s medical and nutritional health, operates on the basis that harm must be proven in order for a substance to be regulated or banned. In 1958, U.S. legislation termed food additives as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS). This was meant to allow the use of basic ingredients such as salt and vinegar in foodstuffs without extra red tape. However, since then, companies have been permitted to apply the GRAS principle to any food additive, using them in products as long as they haven’t been demonstrated to be harmful yet. Companies can voluntarily conduct their own research, but the FDA does not mandate them to submit their findings. According to a 2013 report by Pew Charitable Trusts, over 10,000 food additives have entered the U.S. food supply, most of them without FDA testing.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), on the other hand, takes a more cautious approach: An additive must be proven safe before being allowed on the market. As per the EU’s “General Food Law,” additives for which there is not significant testing or conclusive scientific evidence of safety are very likely not to be permitted. This stringency toward food originates, at least in part, from the mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE) epidemic in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 1990s. Because the UK government incorrectly claimed that the disease cannot be transferred to humans through eating contaminated meat and over 150 people eventually died, the public’s trust in food regulation was shaken. Since then, Europe has become much more prudent in their food legislation.
As a result, numerous additives commonly found in American processed food are not allowed into the EU, including coloring agents, foods with traces of bovine growth hormone and ingredients such as potassium bromate and azodicarbonamide used as whiteners. While many companies selling to both American and European markets must make two different products, some American foods can’t be found across the pond. A few examples include Skittles, Twinkies, instant stuffing and Pillsbury biscuits. The EU has also gone to lengths to restrict the use of corn syrup, which it has labeled as deleterious to a person’s health.
What region has a better approach to what they eat? While stricter regulations have increased consumer confidence in European food, there hasn’t been overwhelming evidence that it is significantly safer than in America. According to the 2022 World Health Index, the U.S. ranks higher in obesity than every European nation, but that is largely attributed to the culture around food as opposed to what is in it. Portion sizes are typically bigger in the U.S., and Americans tend to consume more fast food and unhealthy snacks on a regular basis.
Nonetheless, although there hasn’t been a major recent scare regarding compounds in the U.S. food supply, the lack of oversight by the federal government has some Americans worried. One of those people is Robert Califf, the outgoing head of the FDA. He stated that “There is good reason to be concerned about the chemicals that are routinely included in much of our food,” and decried the lack of information the FDA has regarding additives in many products. In fact, increasing regulation on food ingredients is a rare point of agreement between some Democrats and Republicans. Determining what is allowed into the food chain is an important judgment that can affect the health of millions. Regardless of the approach, it is imperative that the decisions are made based on unbiased data as much as possible and not the interests of corporations.
Even the Icelandic government reversed course again. As of 2022, the island is back to eating European Cocoa Puffs. Even though they live under the threat of volcanoes and dangerous weather, unregulated cereal was considered just too risky.
