EWG Analysis: Almost all new food chemicals greenlighted by industry, not the FDA

What's Inside

The article is loaded with great links out to deeper information on specific petitions and how those have been dominated by the GRAS loophole. Here are some of the key takeaways.

The GRAS Loophole Dominates Food Regulation

• Lack of FDA Oversight: Nearly 99% of all new food chemicals introduced since 2000 (756 out of 766) were greenlighted for use by the food and chemical industry itself, rather than undergoing rigorous pre-market safety reviews by the FDA.
• Exploitation of Intent: The "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) designation was originally created in 1958 to apply narrowly to common, well-understood ingredients like sugar, vinegar, and baking soda. Instead, it has become a massive loophole used to bypass government safety reviews for entirely new chemicals.
• Voluntary Notification: Companies making a GRAS determination can voluntarily choose to notify the FDA. If the FDA raises safety questions, companies can simply withdraw their notice and continue using the chemical anyway without further oversight.

Health and Consumer Risks

• Harmful Chemicals in Food: The loophole has allowed potentially harmful ingredients into the U.S. food supply. Examples include certain carcinogenic flavors, BHA (a anticipated human carcinogen), BHT (an endocrine disruptor), and EGCG (green tea extract linked to increased cancer risk).
• Missing Data: A 2020 review of nearly 900 GRAS notices found that almost all were inadequate. Only one assessed the cumulative impacts of the chemical in combination with other similar substances, despite legal requirements to do so.
• No Public Input: The GRAS process completely cuts out the public, offering concerned citizens no opportunity to review, comment on, or challenge industry safety claims.

Calls for Legislative Reform

Public health advocates and lawmakers are pushing for legislative action to close the loophole, highlighting two specific bills:

• The Toxic Free Food Act: Aimed at narrowing the loophole by requiring more transparency, public input, and robust data for GRAS substances.
• The Food Chemical Reassessment Act: Aimed at forcing the FDA to regularly review and reassess existing food chemicals, many of which haven't been reevaluated by the government in decades.