The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is taking a major step to increase transparency and ensure the safety of chemicals in our food. The agency is launching a stronger, more systematic review process for food chemicals already on the market—especially those that concern consumers most.
"No parent should ever worry about what's in their child's food," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "We're taking decisive action and using every authority we have to clean up the food supply and protect American families."
Under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., the FDA will roll out several key actions over the coming months:
- A modernized, evidence-based prioritization scheme for reviewing existing chemicals. A draft will be released for public comment soon.
- A final, systematic post-market review process shaped by stakeholder input.
- An updated list of chemicals under review, including BHT, BHA, and ADA. The FDA will also take steps to expedite its review of chemicals currently under review like phthalates, propylparaben, and titanium dioxide. FDA will continue to share information about the status of this work on its public website as part the agency’s push for greater transparency.
Until now, the FDA has conducted post-market reviews on a case-by-case basis, often in response to citizen petitions or new scientific evidence. This new framework will be proactive, science-based, and built for long-term impact. Americans are demanding more transparency and accountability around food safety and the FDA is doing just that.
“We are prioritizing our resources and leveraging gold standard science to create, for the first time, a systematic post-market review program that consumers can trust and rely on,” said FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Only by improving the safety and transparency of the food supply and ensuring consumers can make healthful food choices will we overcome the long-standing trajectory of chronic diseases.”
This post-market review effort is part of a larger initiative to improve food chemical oversight. Last month, the FDA announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply. Earlier this year, the agency also began exploring rulemaking to eliminate the process that allows companies to self-affirm substances as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) without FDA oversight.
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