5@5: Dangerous, unlabeled food additive under fire | Harvard study links sugary drinks with early death

The dangerous food additive that’s not on the label

Perchlorate, an additive with an outsized impact on children, was approved by the U.S. FDA in 2005. The chemical has been linked to disrupted thyroid function, which reduces the production of a hormone necessary for healthy brain development. Now, several environmental and healthy organizations have been calling on the FDA to ban perchlorate in food products. Read more at Civil Eats …

Harvard study on sugary drinks and early death may spell the end of soda

A new Harvard study cites evidence that those who drink two or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day have a significantly higher rate of early mortality compared to people who drank less than one sugary beverage per month. While traditional sugary soda sales have already been steadily decreasing, these findings seem to cement the beneficial nature of Big Soda’s downward spiral. Read more at Inverse …

As home-cooked cottage-food industry grows, states work to keep up

Every state—with the exception of New Jersey—allows home-kitchen cooks “to make and sell non-hazardous foods with a low risk of causing foodborne illness such as baked goods, jams, jellies and other items that do not require time and temperature controls for safety.” Each state also has its own set of food-safety laws, and many health officials worry about the foodborne illnesses that tend to arise when there is too much legal freedom for home-cooks to go around selling whatever they want. Read more at Pew Trusts …

These are the top beauty brands dominating Amazon

Amazon is currently the second-most shopped retailer for beauty products (Walmart being the first). Findings from a recent survey on Amazon’s beauty industry influence show that a mere 4 percent of beauty brands account for 52.1 percent of all beauty products listed on the site; makeup is the largest category, followed in descending order by skincare, haircare, personal care, fragrance and oral health. Read more at Fast Company …

Reflections on being a Misfit: Entrepreneurship, mental health and why I am leaving the company I helped build

Ann Yang, co-founder of Misfit Foods, has decided to shift from a full-time operating role to an advisory position in the company. In this essay, she reflects on the unique stress that being an entrepreneur can have on a person—especially minorities from lower-class backgrounds—and why she is making the tough decision to spend the next few months resetting and reflecting on the past four years. Read more at Medium …