FDA proposes new food ingredient rule but skips defining ‘ultra-processed’
Summary
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a new rule requiring food companies to notify the agency about all ingredients they use through the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) system. However, the FDA has not yet provided a clear definition of what counts as “ultra-processed foods,” a key issue that remains unresolved.Key Facts
- The FDA’s proposed rule would make it mandatory for companies to report all food ingredients considered safe under the GRAS system.
- The GRAS system was created in 1958 and allows ingredients to be used without full FDA review if they are commonly recognized as safe.
- The rule aims to close a loophole that lets companies add new ingredients without FDA notification.
- FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas confirmed the move would change GRAS from a voluntary to a mandatory system.
- There is currently no scientific agreement on what “ultra-processed foods” are or their health effects.
- Defining “ultra-processed foods” was promised earlier but delayed due to the complexity of the issue.
- FDA staff resources are limited due to budget cuts and low morale.
- It remains unclear what happens if the FDA rejects an ingredient notification from a company.
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