Items Tagged with 'generally recognized as safe'

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. 

Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT) is campaigning for federal action to “correct a maze of state-by-state-laws” that restrict or prohibit the use of colorants, additives, and ingredients in foods. AFIT is backed by many of the largest food industry associations and companies, some of which have made voluntary commitments to phase out food dyes or other additives.

A series of U.S. consumer surveys from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) show that consumer confidence in U.S. food safety has hit an all-time low, and explore consumer perceptions of food recalls and FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) rule.

The final Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Report was unveiled in a September 9 press conference led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Food safety, consumer, and environmental stakeholder groups criticize the report’s deregulatory approach and lack of enforceable actions.

FDA officially revealed its intent to issue a proposed rule that would make significant changes to the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) process, which, at present, enables the introduction of ingredients to the U.S. food supply without formal safety review.

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.

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.

U.S. Representatives have reintroduced the Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025 to Congress, which would require FDA to reevaluate the safety of chemicals—including “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) substances, food dyes, and food contact substances—every three years.

The Trump administration released its "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) Report on May 22, laying a foundation for the overhaul of government policy on childhood nutrition, food chemicals, environmental toxins found in food contact materials, and other concerns.