Study in American Journal of Public Health reveals US FDA's self-regulation approach allows hazardous substances in food supply with inadequate oversight.

A study in the American Journal of Public Health finds that the US FDA's hands-off approach to self-regulation of food industry additives allows hazardous substances to enter the food supply. The FDA permits companies to decide which ingredients are "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), and whether to share safety data with the FDA. This has resulted in hundreds to thousands of substances with unknown safety data in the food supply, and the FDA lacking resources and strategies to review existing food additives and GRAS substances. The study recommends the FDA and Congress take actions to improve oversight.

August 12, 2024
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