October 4, 2016

FDA Bans Toxic Chemical From Soaps

WASHINGTON – The federal Food and Drug Administration announced today that triclosan, a toxic chemical ingredient associated with hormone disruption in people, will no longer be allowed in antibacterial hand soaps, which EWG noted as a significant success. “This decision by the FDA is a huge victory on behalf of human health and the environment,” said Ken Cook, co-founder and president of EWG. “EWG has been conducting research and advocating for this exact federal government action for nearly a decade, and our work, as well as that of other public interest groups and many of our supporters, has finally paid […]
July 24, 2016

EWG Reveals 16,000 Foods That May Contain BPA

WASHINGTON––For consumers who want to avoid bisphenol A, EWG today unveiled an easily searchable database of more than 16,000 food and beverage items that may come in cans, bottles or jars containing the hormone-disrupting chemical, better known as BPA. The list was compiled from a little-known food industry inventory and is now available at EWG’s Food Scores database. BPA acts like estrogen in the body and is especially dangerous for pregnant women and children in critical stages of development. Independent scientific studies link it to cancer, infertility, diabetes, obesity and brain, nerve and heart disorders, and it’s just been listed […]
June 13, 2016

EWG Releases 2016 Guide To Sunscreens

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 WASHINGTON – Almost three-fourths of the 750 sunscreens evaluated for EWG’s annual Guide to Sunscreens, released today, offer inferior protection or contain worrisome ingredients like oxybenzone, a hormone disruptor, or retinyl palmitate, which may harm skin. “There have been some improvements in sun protection, but there is still a lot to be done to improve the quality of sunscreens,” said Sonya Lunder, EWG senior analyst. “Most of the products sold in the U.S. aren’t as good as they should be and don’t offer enough protection against ultraviolet rays.” With melanoma, a deadly type of skin cancer […]
April 24, 2016

EWG’s 2016 Dirty Dozen List of Pesticides

WASHINGTON – Conventional strawberries top the Dirty Dozen™ list of EWG’s 2016 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, displacing apples, which headed the list the last five years running. Nearly all strawberry samples – 98 percent – tested by federal officials had detectable pesticide residues. Forty percent had residues of 10 or more pesticides and some had residues of 17 different pesticides. Some of the chemicals detected on strawberries are relatively benign, but others are linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental damage, hormone disruption and neurological problems. Strawberries were once a seasonal, limited crop, but heavy use of pesticides has increased […]
April 10, 2016

Shop Smarter, Choose EWG Verified Products

WASHINGTON – The EWG VERIFIED™ program now features 118 products, allowing shoppers to quickly and easily identify cosmetics and personal care items that meet our strictest health and transparency standards. EWG VERIFIED™ products include cosmetics like foundations, blushes, eye shadows and eye liners, lipsticks and lip glosses; skin care products including cleansers and moisturizers; shampoos and soaps; and many more. “Earning the EWG VERIFIED™ mark isn’t easy, as anyone who has read our very detailed application criteriacan attest. So we are thrilled to see that the list of items in the pipeline to be EWG VERIFIED™ continues to grow, and […]
March 16, 2016

DARK Act Blocks Consumers’ Right To Know

WASHINGTON– Today, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kans.) filed the latest version of a bill known by opponents as the
March 9, 2016

EWG’s Dietary Guidelines Give Straight Facts

WASHINGTON– EWG’s new Dietary Guidelines give people solid nutrition advice and highlight the shortcomings of the Obama administration’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans released earlier this month, which were confusing to consumers and overly influenced by the $1 trillion-a-year food industry. “These guidelines serve the public interest, not the vested interests,” said Ken Cook, president and co-founder of EWG. The government’s guidelines watered down evidence that a plant-based diet is better for health and the environment by not clearly advising Americans to eat less meat. These guidelines did not explain the serious health risks of exposure to mercury in certain fish. […]
January 5, 2016

FDA Bans 3 Toxic Chemicals From Food Wrapping

WASHINGTON – Under pressure from EWG and other environmental and health groups, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is banning three grease-resistant chemical substances linked to cancer and birth defects from use in pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, sandwich wrappers and other food packaging. The FDA’s belated action comes more than a decade after EWG and other advocates sounded alarms and five years after U.S. chemical companies stopped making the chemicals. It does nothing to prevent food processors and packagers from using almost 100 related chemicals that may also be hazardous. “Industrial chemicals that pollute people’s blood clearly have no […]