health
March 8, 2026
US agency did not perform safety checks of more than 100 food ingredients, analysis finds
Review of FDA records by the Environmental Working Group reveals firms are exploiting rule to send new chemicals in food system
TL;DR
- Over 100 substances used in US foods, supplements, and beverages lack FDA health and safety review.
- Companies are exploiting the 'generally recognized as safe' (GRAS) rule to bypass safety checks.
- Some ingredients, like tara flour, have been linked to numerous illnesses and hospitalizations.
- Purified extracts, such as from green tea and mushrooms, have unknown impacts and potential toxicity.
- The GRAS rule allows companies to self-determine safety, with voluntary FDA notification.
- Concerns exist that companies provide limited or biased scientific data for GRAS substances.
- The EWG identified 111 substances of unknown safety, with the actual number likely higher.
- The FDA has previously intervened with GRAS ingredients, such as caffeine in alcoholic beverages.
- Experts call for the FDA, not industry, to review novel food chemicals for safety.
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