HHS Proposes Rule Requiring FDA Notice for GRAS Additives, Closing 1958 Food-Safety Loophole
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 28
HHS Proposes Rule Requiring FDA Notice for GRAS Additives, Closing 1958 Food-Safety Loophole
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 28
Summary
HHS proposed requiring food manufacturers to notify the FDA whenever they conclude an added substance is “generally recognized as safe,” ending a system that lets companies self-determine GRAS status without alerting regulators or the public.
The rule would create a public list of GRAS notices and a streamlined process for substances already on the market, aiming to give regulators, researchers and consumers visibility into ingredients entering the food supply.
The administration argues the current framework drifted from the 1958 Food Additives Amendment, which exempted established safe ingredients like salt or vinegar rather than broadening into a pathway for unreported new additives.
Tara flour is cited as a warning case: it entered the market without a GRAS notice, was later linked to hundreds of illnesses and hospitalizations, and was ultimately found by the FDA not to meet the GRAS standard.