Catch up on the latest news and analysis from EWG’s team of experts.
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Safe food depends on the states
The recent outbreak of cyclosporiasis , a food-borne illness, has shown we can’t count on the federal government to make sure our food is safe. States have always played a central role in the safety...
Interactive map: Tracking state food chemical regulation in the U.S.
Thousands of chemicals are allowed for use in food sold in this country. And while most of these are likely safe to eat, some have been linked to serious health harms.
Study: Pregnant women routinely exposed to chemicals of concern, some linked to poor birth outcomes
Potentially harmful but commonly used chemicals were widely detected in urine samples of pregnant people, according to a new study . At least 45 individual of these chemicals were found in half of the...
‘Triple dipping’ taxpayer dollars: Trump eyes billions more in subsidies for wealthy farms
The Trump administration is asking Congress to send another $11 billion to farmers through taxpayer-funded farm subsidies, even though many would-be recipients are wealthy farms that already receive...
This cancer-causing chemical may be lurking in your bread
Many packaged baked goods are made with flour that may contain potassium bromate, an additive linked to cancer. The chemical is added to flour to strengthen dough and allow it to rise higher, benefits...
For 41 years in a row, USDA sent taxpayer-funded payouts to roughly 9,000 farmers, totaling $10.6B
For more than four decades, almost 9,000 farmers have received taxpayer money every year through Agriculture Department payments totaling about $10.6 billion, a new EWG analysis finds. These massive...
Tiny tick bites can cause big health problems – these tips can help
Tick bites are on the rise, and so are the health issues they can cause. In April all but one region in the U.S. saw the highest level of tick-related emergency room visits since 2017, according to...
‘City slicker’ payments swell to $2.6B with Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill and farm bailouts
More than 92,000 “city slickers” living in some of the biggest metropolitan areas in the U.S. took in over $2.6 billion in farm subsidies between 2020 and 2025, even though many of these people don’t...
Dirty Dozen™ food chemicals: Propyl gallate
EWG’s recommendation Avoid or limit foods containing propyl gallate. Propyl gallate is a preservative that has been linked to oxidative stress, which is when reactive molecules build up and damage...
Algae blooms: Unsightly for the Reflecting Pool, potentially toxic elsewhere
Algae is making headlines after the Trump administration’s $14.2 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turned its water closer in color to the Chicago River on St. Patrick's Day –...
Safer skincare starter kits for teens
Teens experiencing acne or other skin imperfections due to hormonal changes often seek solutions. One source of help is “get ready with me” videos, which teens widely view and follow on apps such as...
Dirty Dozen™ food chemicals: BHT
EWG’s recommendation Avoid or limit foods containing BHT. BHT has not been formally classified as a carcinogen, but studies have linked it to tumor promotion in animals. BHT and its breakdown products...
Bang for your buck: Safer moisturizing face sunscreens under $30
Protecting your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays is important. Finding a sunscreen for the face with broad spectrum SPF and moisturizing ingredients – but without toxic chemicals – isn’t necessarily...
What’s the difference between processed and ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed foods. Highly processed foods. Processed foods. All terms we’re hearing more often as research continues to link ultra-processed food, or UPF, to diseases like cancer, depression and...
Why factory farms are a major threat to food safety
Every week, federal investigators track between 17 and 36 foodborne illness outbreaks that can cause extreme sickness and even death. Industrial livestock farming, also known as factory farming, is a...
Dirty Dozen™ food chemicals: BHA
EWG’s recommendation Avoid or limit foods containing BHA. BHA has been classified as a possible carcinogen , or cancer-causing chemical. Studies have shown BHA to produce oxidative stress, which...
New research: It’s time to treat ultra-processed foods like tobacco
A special health journal issue on ultra-processed food, or UPF, calls for bold policy action to address the growing public health crisis – and that efforts focused solely on personal responsibility...
The dose makes the poison – but there’s more to the story
Does the dose define how chemicals can lead to harm? Yes. But is the dose the only thing that “makes the poison”? No. The idea that the dose makes the poison – originally explained as “all things are...
5 viral – but problematic – TikTok tanning trends
With the days getting warmer, many are tanning or being outside more. Time in the sun is fun, as long as you protect yourself – and that usually means wearing sunscreen. But some recent TikTok trends...
What to know about new ‘non-UPF’ certification labels
California is advancing a bill to help shoppers identify alternatives to ultraprocessed foods , or UPF, at the grocery store. If enacted, it would create a first-ever government-run and state...