The FDA’s current regulations allow food companies to independently determine the safety of thousands of ingredients considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), often without notifying the FDA or disclosing safety data. This practice has led to the addition of many unreviewed substances to the U.S.
food supply, raising concerns about the adequacy of post-market oversight and the potential risks of such ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of the U.S.
food supply, including setting nutrition labeling standards, collaborating with companies on food recalls, and addressing foodborne illness outbreaks. However, a recent article in the American Journal of Public Health suggests that the FDA has adopted a more hands-off stance regarding the safety of food additives and certain ingredients already in use. The current FDA process allows the food industry to regulate itself when it comes to thousands of added ingredients—by determining for itself which ingredients should be considered “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS—and deciding on their own whether or not to disclose the ingredients’ use and the underlying safety data to the FDA.
As a result, many new substances have been added to our food supply without any government oversight. “Both the FDA and the public are unaware of how many of these ingredients—which are most commonly found in ultra-processed foods —are in our food supply,” said Jennif.