FDA Bans Sassafras Root Beer

In 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned sassafras, the original ingredient that flavored root beer, because it contained safrole. Studies had shown safrole to be carcinogenic in lab animals, so commercial producers dropped traditional sassafras oil and switched to artificial flavorings or safrole-free sassafras extracts to keep root beer on shelves without the risky compound.

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