FDA to review food ingredient loophole

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, is pushing the Food and Drug Administration to close a loophole that allows food companies to decide for themselves whether an ingredient is generally recognized as safe (GRAS). On March 10, Kennedy ordered the FDA to explore eliminating that self-determination pathway to ensure that companies notify the agency and provide safety evidence before they market new food ingredients that fall under the GRAS category. “For far too long, ingredient manufacturers and sponsors have exploited a loophole that has allowed new ingredients and chemicals, often with unknown safety data, to be introduced into the U.S. food supply without notification to the FDA or the public,” Kennedy said in a statement . “Eliminating this loophole will provide transparency to consumers” and ensure that ingredients introduced into foods are safe, he said. Kennedy is the mastermind behind the Make