In response to a petition by environmental and consumer groups, the FDA said it will consider whether to ban seven food additives, including styrene, because they could cause cancer. The agency said in a Federal Register notice that it will accept public comment until March 4. For decades, federal law has barred food from containing carcinogens. The additives are used as flavoring substances. A trade group, the Flavor and Extracts Manufacturers Association, recently removed styrene from its list of approved materials because there was little evidence that it was being used as a flavoring, said Agri-Pulse.