Changing the Definition of Food and Consumer Safety with Jaclyn Bowen from Clean Label Project | Episode 101

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Jaclyn Bowen, the Executive Director of the Clean Label Project. Food toxicology is the next frontier of food safety, and it’s not just coming, it's already here.

That’s why we need to change and expand the definition of food safety from only protecting consumers from microbial and pathogen contaminants, to also minimizing our exposure to dangerous environmental contaminants and toxins in everyday consumer products.

Tune in to discover how Jaclyn Bowen and the Clan Label Project are bringing about this change, as well as what you need to know about heavy metals, pesticide residues, and packaging migration issues.

In this episode:

💩 [01:53] Meet Jaclyn Bowen from the Clean Label Project

💩 [03:22] The new frontier of food safety

💩 [04:40] Why Jaclyn got into food toxicology

💩 [06:24] Heavy metals are a problem, even if they’re naturally occurring

💩 [10:47] How best to inform consumers and provide trust in the food system

💩 [13:56] The realities of modern food safety pressures in a global society

💩 [15:56] Putting the proverbial regulatory cart in front of the science horse

💩 [18:01] California’s AB 899: what’s good and what could improve

💩 [21:41] Gerber’s Hawaiian Delight and other baby food (for adults too)

💩 [25:03] Heavy metals in protein powder and supplement regulations

💩 [29:55] The challenges of getting enough protein and some solutions

💩 [33:37] Complementing a healthy lifestyle with supplements

💩 [35:50] CLP’s call to action for consumers to make brands accountable

💩 [37:46] How heavy metal testing works and how shockingly cheap it is

💩 [40:54] Testing for 500 different pesticides for less than $400

💩 [41:56] COAs might be making brands more lenient

💩 [43:17] Ingredients that present a higher heavy metal risk

💩 [44:07] Levels of detection versus levels of quantification

💩 [46:59] Why brands aren’t investing in testing and how to change that

💩 [51:28] Where baby food suppliers that didn’t pass muster are going

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Learn more about the Clean Label Project at cleanlabelproject.org. 

Read Clean Label Project’s White Paper on Protein Powder.

If you want to learn more about the Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches Lead and Chromium Poisoning Outbreak mentioned in this episode, catch up with Episode 51 | Stanley Cups vs. Cinnamon Applesauce: Which Is More Likely To Give You Lead Poisoning?

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ Trust [your suppliers] but verify. You don't have to have [a Clean Label Project] certification but recognize that the future of food safety is food toxicology. Heavy metals, pesticide residues, packaging migration issues are a modern food safety problem. And independent of CLP, it's a matter of doing your diligence in order to minimize the introduction of these contaminants for my family, as well as yours.” – Jaclyn Bowen

We hope you enjoy this episode!

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