The way a food tastes and smells is important when it comes to choosing what we eat. Food companies engineer foods to ensure they taste and smell appealing by adding flavors and spices. These can be natural substances or chemicals synthesized in a laboratory. They can be a single ingredient—like vanilla extract, dried basil, or a specific chemical—or blends of many ingredients formulated and developed by professional flavorists.
Manufacturers hide thousands of food chemicals—some deemed unsafe in other countries—from consumers and the FDA via vague ingredient labels and lax oversight.
Food AdditivesThomas Galligan, PhD, Zachary Goldstein, MS
Lawmakers requested the report after a 2023 ProPublica and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette investigation revealed that the FDA had received hundreds of complaints over many years about defective breathing machines and never ordered a recall.
The color additive titanium dioxide can potentially cause DNA damage but is used in Christmas treats and dairy products. Tell the dairy industry to ditch TiO2.
Following changes to COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and recommendations in 2025, many people are wondering whether they can get COVID-19 vaccines for themselves or their children. Here's what to know.
American inspections of foreign food facilities have plummeted to historic lows this year, a ProPublica data analysis shows. About two dozen current and former FDA officials blamed the drop in foreign food inspections on staffing cuts under Trump. Food safety experts said there’s an increased risk of outbreaks. “It’s only a matter of time before people die,” one said.
Nov. 3, 2025: FDA completes list of tejocote root supplements that may contain toxic yellow oleander, which causes severe health risks and may be fatal.
