Trending
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. health officials on Monday proposed a rule change that would require food manufacturers to notify regulators before introducing new ingredients or additives into processed or packaged foods.
The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply.
Under the proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration, companies would have to document and submit their safety findings for new ingredients, giving regulators the opportunity to investigate if they see a potential safety risk. Currently companies can decide for themselves if an ingredient or additive is "generally recognized as safe" and there is no requirement for companies to notify or submit evidence to the FDA, although some do.
"Shifting to a mandatory notification system closes a decades-old information gap, giving the FDA the comprehensive visibility needed to enhance postmarket safety," acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas told reporters on Monday.
The FDA will take comments on the proposal for 120 days.
Consumer advocates who have long pushed for changes said FDA's proposal should require more than giving advance notice about new ingredients.
"It must also include strong, science-based safety standards and thorough, independent FDA review before chemicals are allowed in our food," said Melanie Benesh of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.
In a separate move, the FDA said it completed work on the federal government's first-ever definition of ultraprocessed food, but did not release any details or the proposed language. The agency said it has submitted the definition to the White House for further review.
Health advocates consider an official definition of ultraprocessed food a key step toward bringing greater scrutiny to packaged foods that are blamed for multiple chronic health problems afflicting Americans. A government-backed definition could pave the way for more federal research and, eventually, possible labeling or other restrictions on processed foods.
Neither of Monday's announcements are likely to immediately impact American diets, which are packed with fats, sodium and sugar and are blamed for a host of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. But both initiatives are considered top priorities for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who entered government vowing to crack down on artificial colors, additives and other ingredients.
"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 at an event Monday at HHS headquarters.