California Assembly Bill (AB) 1264 has passed the Senate, and now awaits final approval before being sent to the Governor. AB 1264 would define “ultra-processed foods” (UPFs), and would require “UPFs of concern” to be identified and phased out of schools.
The Campbell’s Company is the latest food company to pledge to end the use of artificial food dyes in its products following HHS’/FDA’s prompting, reflecting HHS Secretary Kennedy’s MAHA movement, changing consumer preferences, and state additives bans.
FDA has updated its list of chemicals currently under post-market review, which now includes six additional artificial food colorants, among other chemicals. The agency is also expediting the review of chemicals included in previous updates, like phthalates and titanium dioxide.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to George Misko, a legal expert on the regulation of food and food contact materials, about the recent “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Report calling for changes to the “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) provision, food additives, and food contact materials oversight—and the potential regulatory implications.
Consumer and regulatory demand for naturally derived alternatives to synthetic food colorants is on the rise. To meet that demand, Cornell University scientists have developed a new blue food dye made of algae protein.
According to the 2025 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Food and Health Survey, consumer confidence in U.S. food safety has hit an all-time low in the 13 years since the survey began gauging the metric. Foodborne bacteria are the number one ranked concern in 2025, and attention to food additives and ingredients is rising.
A peer-reviewed study led by CU Boulder researchers demonstrates that erythritol, a popular non-nutritive sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a zero-calorie sweetener in “sugar-free” snacks and beverages, may increase stroke risk by may constricting the brain’s blood vessels and lowering the body’s ability to dissolve blood clots.
The Ensuring Safe and Toxic-Free Foods Act of 2025 would set stricter requirements for manufactures to decide a food ingredient is “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS). It also sets an annual quota of GRAS notices for FDA to review, and lays the groundwork for a systematic chemical reassessment process.
Following FDA’s announcement of its intent to end the use of artificial food colorants—largely by relying on voluntary action by industry—the agency has authorized a fourth petition for a naturally sourced food dye, Gardenia Blue. FDA is also reminding industry that even “natural” colorants must be approved by the agency.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reevaluated the safety of artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium (also known as acesulfame K, or additive E 950) for the first time since 2000, raising the acceptable daily intake. However, EFSA recommended lowering the maximum limits for lead and mercury in E 950.
