The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on March 10 that it is seeking to terminate a rule allowing food manufacturers to use additives without formal regulatory approval.
The Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) rule allows companies to self-approve the inclusion of additives in food items without requiring a review and the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The rule enables manufacturers to add an ingredient even if the FDA has not determined its safety.
On Monday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the acting FDA commissioner to explore the possibility of eliminating the “self-affirmed GRAS pathway” available to companies, the department said in a statement….