Food Additives and Child Health

This webinar originally presented on May 19, 2021. It provides an overview of the 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Technical Report and Policy Statement on Food Additives and Child Health. The presentation covers chemicals linked to child health concerns that are used as direct and indirect food additives and identifies limitations in the regulatory system that allow for such exposures in the food supply. Attendees will learn about opportunities to reduce exposures through individual action, retail action, and policy action.  

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify selected classes of indirect and direct food additives and their associated impacts on child health
• Understand shortcomings in regulatory framework contributing to these exposures in the food supply
• Understand prevention strategies for patients and opportunities for policy change at state and federal levels

Presenter

Rachel Shaffer, PhD, MPH

Dr. Rachel M. Shaffer is a post-doctoral fellow in the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment in the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Dr. Shaffer has a broad background in environmental health sciences, with graduate training spanning in vitro, in vivo, and human epidemiological research. Dr. Shaffer was a co-author on the 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics Technical Report and Policy Statement on Food Additives and Child Health. She completed her MPH (on phthalates and gestational diabetes) and her PhD (on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and dementia) at the University of Washington-Seattle School of Public Health. She also holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Yale University. *The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author and do not represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Disclaimer: This course was supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and funded (in part) by a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports the PEHSUs by providing partial funding to CDC/ATSDR through an Inter-Agency Agreement. The findings and conclusions presented have not been formally disseminated by CDC/ATSDR or EPA and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy. Use of trade names that may be mentioned is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the CDC/ATSDR or EPA.

 WC4423-051921