Consumer Reports Calls FDA’s Proposed GRAS Rule ‘Toothless’
Consumer Reports says FDA's plan to make GRAS notification mandatory carries no penalties and leaves 1,000-plus existing additives untouched.
FDA wants to close the loophole that lets companies declare their own ingredients safe. Consumer Reports says the fix has no teeth.
TLDR
- FDA proposed making GRAS notification mandatory for new additives.
- Consumer Reports says the rule carries no real penalties.
- It would not apply to additives already on the market.
- Companies could still keep safety data from the public.
The Loophole in Question
GRAS stands for “generally recognized as safe.” For decades, companies have been able to self-certify an ingredient as GRAS without FDA review. More than 1,000 chemical additives in the U.S. food supply have not undergone rigorous safety testing or received FDA approval, The Center Square reported.
The Food and Drug Administration’s proposed rule would require companies to notify the agency when they claim a new ingredient is safe. The rule is open for public comment.
The Critique
Consumer Reports argues the rule misses its own target. Companies that skip notification would face higher audit risk and post-market assessment, but no real penalty.
“There’s no immediate recourse available that would require the companies to pull the ingredient from the market,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports. He added that the proposal “really fails to address that fundamental regulatory gap that’s long plagued this framework.”
The group also objects to two other gaps. The rule is not retroactive, so additives already on the market stay put. Those include titanium dioxide, potassium bromate and propylparaben, which are banned in other countries. And companies could withhold health and safety data from the public, including from independent researchers.
Why It Matters
The GRAS rule will shape how every new ingredient reaches the market, from sweeteners to natural colors. Formulators should watch the comment period closely. A tougher final rule could change timelines and documentation for reformulation projects already in motion.
Source: The Center Square, as published by Just the News. Read the report.