The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a new rule that would require companies to notify the agency when claiming a new chemical additive is safe for human or animal consumption. This move aims to increase federal oversight of the food supply.

Current System

For nearly 70 years, the FDA has relied on a voluntary disclosure system where manufacturers are allowed to self-certify their own chemical products as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS). As a result, thousands of chemical additives are present in the American food supply that have not undergone rigorous safety testing or received FDA approval.

The FDA’s proposed rule, which is open to public comment for the next 120 days, stops short of closing the GRAS loophole entirely but marks a “significant step towards” increased food transparency, according to Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas.

Ultra-Processed Foods

The U.S. Health and Human Services also announced that the FDA, alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is submitting the federal government’s first proposed definition of ultra-processed foods for final review. Ultra-processed foods are “industrial formulations made entirely or mostly from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch, and proteins), derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats and modified starch), or synthesized in laboratories from food substrates or other organic sources (flavor enhancers, colors, and several food additives used to make the product hyperpalatable).”

Some industry groups have condemned the action as “politically motivated,” with the Consumer Brands Association claiming that “some rogue unelected bureaucrats are trying to push this misguided definition.”

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.