All articles tagged with #gras
The administration’s plan would require firms adding new substances to foods to notify the FDA and disclose how they determined GRAS, with existing GRAS ingredients now listed in a public database; it stops short of pre-market approval, sets review timelines, and faces questions about enforcement, staffing, and cost, though supporters say it closes a long-standing information gap.
The FDA proposed a rule requiring public GRAS-notices and data on existing GRAS ingredients, a first step to improve transparency in food additives; however, critics argue it doesn’t stop new additives, lacks timelines, and leaves thousands of unreviewed chemicals in the food supply, signaling a cautious but incomplete reform.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. unveiled a plan to end the decades-old GRAS loophole by forcing food companies to notify the FDA about GRAS determinations and to provide the basis for those conclusions. The FDA would perform an initial 45-day review and a substantive 180-day review, but would not be required to approve the additives during the process. Companies could continue using the substances while under review. Industry observers prefer Congress-led changes, and the move fits Kennedy’s MAHA-backed agenda on food regulation amid past safety concerns like tara flour incidents. The White House has signaled a forthcoming rule for public comment.
Probiotics are widely sold with capsules often containing billions of live bacteria, but brands tend to use the same safe strains (mainly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria) and rely on vague efficacy claims. The piece explains that most ingested bacteria are killed by stomach acid and those that survive usually don’t persist long in the gut; very high doses can pose infection risks for people with weak immune systems. Claims are frequently tied to the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) designation, and qualified health claims often don’t require proof of benefit. With prices around £17.99 for 30 capsules and unclear evidence of benefit, the author suggests probiotics probably don’t harm but offer limited proven advantage for most people.
An Environmental Working Group analysis of FDA records finds 111 GRAS substances used in foods, beverages and supplements have not undergone safety review, cited in products from Capri Sun to Quaker Oats. GRAS is a voluntary self-certification path that can let potentially unsafe ingredients reach the market, prompting calls for the FDA to close the loophole and require transparent safety data.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. proposes closing the GRAS loophole and forcing companies like Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks to prove safety data for their ingredients, part of a broader push to tighten FDA oversight of food additives and ensure items marketed to teens are safe; the plan has drawn skepticism given RFK Jr.’s controversial past on nutrition and the political context surrounding its rollout.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. says the FDA will act on a petition to overhaul how ultra-processed foods are evaluated, potentially challenging the GRAS status of sweeteners; however, he cautions that action may not mean immediate new regulations and emphasizes informing the public about what they're eating.
60 Minutes reports RFK Jr. claims the FDA's GRAS exemption lets food manufacturers certify ingredients as safe without full government review, fueling a surge in ultraprocessed foods and potential health problems. He advocates revoking GRAS status for problematic refined carbohydrates unless proven safe, while experts warn about obesity and cardiometabolic disease. The piece also discusses subsidies shaping the food system and notes a related lawsuit against several manufacturers.