Items Tagged with 'generally recognized as safe'

In an April 29 Congressional hearing considering 28 active food safety bills, U.S. Representatives and witnesses from industry and consumer protection groups debated federal preemption of state food safety laws, GRAS and chemical ingredient oversight, and FDA–state information-sharing during outbreaks.

The draft bill proposes sweeping reforms to FDA’s food safety oversight, including GRAS process changes, infant and baby food safety provisions, and federal preemption of state laws. Consumer groups say the FRESH Act’s GRAS reforms and federal preemption language would weaken U.S. food safety.

The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act would mandate public disclosures of “Generally Recognized as Safe” substances used in foods manufactured or sold in New York. It has passed the Assembly and Senate, and now awaits the Governor’s signature into law. 

Of the 111 “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) additives identified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), 49 are known to be widely used by food manufacturers.

AB 2034 aims to tighten oversight of ingredients used in foods sold in the state that have entered the food supply without a formal FDA safety review through the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) process.

In a recent 60 Minutes interview, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said FDA will address the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) “loophole,” which allows ingredients into the food supply without FDA review, while saying he does not plan to regulate ultra-processed foods.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a chemical preservative used in food that is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” by the National Toxicology Program (NTP). FDA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on the use and safety of BHA.

A Harvard Law report analyzes how federal preemption may impact the emerging patchwork of U.S. state bills on food chemical safety, categorizing the types of common legislation seen in 2025 and discussing possible legal and constitutional challenges.

Posted to the Unified Agenda in September, FDA’s developing proposed rule to tighten Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) oversight has been sent to the White House for review—the final step before publication.

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Kris Sollid, RD of the International Food Information Council (IFIC) about IFIC’s recent consumer surveys measuring Americans' confidence in, and understanding of, the safety of the U.S. food supply, as well as how “MAHA” may be influencing consumer perceptions.