Regulatory Bodies Approve Safety of Cheez-It Ingredients

Cheez-It is a popular brand known for its small, square-shaped crackers. It was first introduced in 1921. From there it gained popularity but now consumers are raising concerns about the presence of a few ingredients which they claim are harmful when consumed by humans. 

The claim suggests that Cheez-It contains High Oleic Soyabean Oil (HOSBO), Palm Oil, Canola oil and TBHQ which are extremely harmful when consumed. 

However, Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. All the ingredients in the Cheez-It snack have been declared safe and approved for use in food. 

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Fact Check- 

Let’s check the facts of the ingredients mentioned in the viral video. 

High Oleic Soyabean Oil: High Oleic Soyabean Oils (HOSBO or HOSO) has been evaluated for its effect on human health and overall safety. A clinical trial involving 60 participants was conducted and found that HOBSO diets help in reducing cholestrol. However, when compared to regular soybean oil, HOSBO resulted in slightly higher LDL cholesterol and apoB levels.

Health Canada’s assessment confirmed that high-oleic soybeans, produced through gene-editing, are safe and nutritious as conventional soybeans, with no increased toxicity. Overall, HOSBO is considered safe for consumption and may be a healthier alternative to oils high in saturated fats.

According to the US Soyabean Export Council (USSEC), the panel established a Codex standard after collaborating with various domestic and international partners to facilitate a Codex standard for HOSO. The standard aims to facilitate trade by establishing a universally recognized benchmark for the product.

Codex standards are the only recognized international food safety guidelines, and they are used as an international reference to facilitate trade. High oleic soybean oil is processed from soybean varieties with an oleic acid content of about 70% and low saturated fatty acids. This increases its oxidative stability, giving the oil a longer fry life, compared to other oils, and extends the shelf life of deep-fried food products. USSEC partnered with the FDA and US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

HOSBO passes through a series of safety evaluations before getting approval for use in foods. This assures the safety of the oil. 

Palm Oil: 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had found that during high temperature refining of palm oils two contaminants 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters can form. These substances are considered harmful to the kidney and have potential link cancer. The FDA is actively researching these contaminants to better understand their occurrence in foods and to develop methods for reducing their levels during oil processing. Palm oil is approved for use in food. The FDA recommended the manufacturers to minimize the presence of these contaminants to ensure safety of the consumers.

Canola Oil: 

According to the Canola Council, Canola oil has been declared Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration. The FDA also allowed canola oil to carry a health claim, saying it might help lower the risk of heart disease when used instead of saturated fats. However, this is not conclusive. FDA had also approved to carry a claim for high oleic canola oil because it has a lot of healthy monounsaturated fats. In Canada, canola oil is approved to carry a health claim that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can help lower blood cholesterol.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also considers canola oil safe because it has very low toxicity and is already approved as an edible oil for human food. Studies have shown its safety and nutritional properties are similar to other vegetable oils. The EPA has granted it for use on many food crops, ornamental plants, and houseplants to control pests like aphids, beetles, mites, and caterpillars. Since it breaks down quickly in the environment and poses little risk to people, animals, and wildlife.

TBHQ: 

The EFSA Panel reviewed the safety of TBHQ (E 319), a food additive allowed in the EU with a safe daily intake limit of 0.7 mg per kilogram of body weight. While past assessments found that adult exposure stayed within this limit, there was concern that infants consuming infant formula with TBHQ might exceed the limit. To refine the assessment, EFSA analyzed new data on how much TBHQ is used in foods and how much people actually consume. The results showed that, at maximum allowed levels, toddlers and children could exceed the safe limit. However, in more realistic scenarios, the safe limit was not exceeded for any group.

FDA approved TBHQ as a food additive and set specific conditions for its safe use. As per FDA, TBHQ must have a melting point of at least 126.5°C and be at least 99% pure. It should be used as an antioxidant, either alone or with BHA and BHT, to prevent oxidation in foods and the total amount of antioxidants, including TBHQ, in a food must not exceed 0.02% of the fat or oil content in the food.

According to the National Institute of Health, TBHQ is a synthetic antioxidant and antimicrobial used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries in approved amounts. It does not significantly accumulate in the body but can cause health issues, such as nutritional disorders, chronic diseases, and cancer, when consumed in high doses or over a long time. TBHQ can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular damage. Therefore, it is recommended to strictly follow the usage limits in food. There are reports on therapeutic benefits of TBHQ under certain conditions but there is no clear data on how much TBHQ people can consume from all food sources. To minimize risks, it is recommended to use only approved amounts of TBHQ in food products.

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. Although all the ingredients mentioned in the viral video are present in the Cheez-It, these ingredients are safe to consume as declared by food safety regulatory bodies.