The Department of Health and Human Services proposed ending the voluntary notification system for ingredients manufacturers classify as “Generally Recognized as Safe,” while federal agencies also advanced the government’s first definition of ultra-processed foods.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Department of Health and Human Services announced a proposed rule Aug. 10 that would require food manufacturers and other parties to notify the Food and Drug Administration before introducing ingredients they determine are “Generally Recognized as Safe,” or GRAS, into the food supply.
The proposal would replace the current voluntary notification framework with a mandatory system, addressing what HHS described as a decades-old gap in federal oversight.
Under the proposed rule, any person introducing a GRAS substance into human or animal food would be required to notify the FDA.
FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said the change would give regulators a more complete picture of the ingredients entering the food supply.
“It would give FDA greater visibility into the substances used in human and animal food, enabling us to more efficiently, knowledgeably, and timely regulate the safety of our nation’s food supply,” Diamantas said.
The move is part of a broader federal effort to increase oversight of food ingredients and improve how the government categorizes processed foods.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said HHS and the Department of Agriculture have also submitted the federal government’s first definition of ultra-processed foods for final review.
“These two actions will change how the federal government oversees what’s in our food and how we understand the foods that Americans eat,” Kennedy said.
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