Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s Toxic Free Food Act would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to overhaul the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) process, calling it a “loophole” that allows substances to secretly enter the food supply without adequate safety review.
The California Assembly has passed AB 2316, named the California School Food Safety Act, which aims to ban six potentially toxic synthetic food dyes from foods sold or offered at public schools. The bill now awaits signature into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
A recent review of carcinogenicity data submitted to support U.S. FDA “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) determinations for food substances has shown that, although the types of carcinogenicity data are varied, safety is typically adequately evidenced. Still, a standardized approach defining which data is required to support a GRAS determination could be useful.
California AB 2316, which is named the California School Food Safety Act and aims to ban six synthetic food dyes from school foods, will soon face an important vote. Proponents and detractors of the bill have made their voices heard ahead of the vote.
On September 25, FDA will hold a public meeting on its work to develop an enhanced systematic process for the postmarket assessment of chemicals in foods, with in-person and virtual attendance options available.
The 99th meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) took place on June 11–20, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland, during which the safety of certain food additives were evaluated.
Effective August 2, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has 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.
