On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a public meeting on its work to develop an enhanced systematic process for the postmarket assessment of chemicals in foods. Limited in-person attendance and virtual attendance options are available.

FDA is developing a systematic process for conducting post-market assessments of chemicals in food, including “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) chemicals, food additives, color additives, food contact substances, and contaminants. The upcoming meeting is intended to guide the agency’s postmarket assessment work going forward, including a new, transparent process for identifying which food chemicals currently on the market should be prioritized for safety reviews.

Specifics about the meeting and registration information can be found here.

FDA’s Enhanced Approach to Food Chemical Safety in Response to National Concern

FDA’s development of a systematic postmarket chemical review process is part of the agency’s larger efforts to enhance its approach to food chemical safety. FDA has been increasing its attention toward food chemical safety in recent months, following the passage of the California Food Safety Act in October 2023—which banned several possibly toxic additives from foods sold or manufactured in the state, and subsequently spurred a wave of bills targeting food additives and chemicals in other states. In-depth coverage detailing the evolving landscape of food additives regulation in the U.S. can be read here.

Most recently, in July 2024, FDA officially revoked its authorization of the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food due to studies showing the potential for adverse health effects to humans. BVO is one of the additives banned by the California Food Safety Act and is targeted in copycat bills cropping up in other states.

Additionally, first published in July 2023, FDA now provides a regularly updated list of chemicals that are undergoing postmarket safety assessment, which includes information about the status of the assessments, the agency’s progress along the risk assessment and management process, and links to public information about postmarket actions that have been taken as a result of the assessments.

Update, August 12, 2024: The article has been edited to include registration information.