Key facts
- U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce a new initiative.
- The plan aims to address a loophole allowing food chemicals without federal notification.
- The FDA proposed a rule to make GRAS notification mandatory.
- The FDA will also release guidance on minimizing biological hazards for fresh-cut produce processors.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to announce a plan to address a long-standing loophole in food safety regulations that allows companies to use certain chemicals without federal notification. The FDA has proposed a rule that would require food manufacturers to notify the agency when they deem a food additive to be 'Generally Recognized as Safe' (GRAS). Since 1958, companies have been permitted to self-affirm the safety of food ingredients without a full government review, though the FDA encourages notification. The proposed rule aims to make this notification mandatory and expand a public inventory of these notices to increase transparency and consumer confidence. The FDA also plans to release guidance on minimizing biological hazards for fresh-cut produce processors.