FDA Launches Postmarket Chemical Review Program to Ensure Food Safety
By Stephanie Brown HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a move to improve transparency and strengthen the safety of chemicals used in the nation's food supply.
The agency is implementing an enhanced review process for food chemicals currently available on the U.S. market, with a particular focus on those that have raised consumer concerns.
Previously, the FDA conducted postmarket reviews reactively, typically triggered by citizen petitions or emerging scientific evidence. Now, the agency is implementing a new framework for these reviews. This updated approach will be "proactive, science-based, and built for long-term impact," the FDA writes in a press release.
"We are prioritizing our resources and leveraging gold standard science to create, for the first time, a systematic postmarket review program that consumers can trust and rely on," FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., said in a statement. "Only by improving the safety and transparency of the food supply and ensuring consumers can make healthful food choices will we overcome the long-standing trajectory of chronic diseases."
During the next few months, the FDA is planning to implement several key actions, including a new, evidence-based approach to prioritizing the review of existing chemicals, with a draft of this scheme to be released soon for public feedback. Additionally, the FDA will be implementing a final, systematic process for postmarket review, which has been developed with input from stakeholders.
The FDA will also update its list of chemicals currently under review, including synthetic antioxidant food additives butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and azodicarbonamide, a chemical foaming agent. The agency intends to expedite the review process for chemicals already under scrutiny, such as phthalates, propylparaben, and titanium dioxide.
As part of its commitment to greater transparency, the FDA will continue to provide updates on the progress of this work on its website.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2025
Read this next
New Models Help Docs Distinguish Severe Pneumonia In Children
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 — New predictive models can accurately distinguish mild, moderate and severe pneumonia in children, helping determine which kids need hospitalization or...
Former President Joe Biden Diagnosed With Aggressive Prostate Cancer
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 — Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office announced Sunday. Doctors found...
FDA Gives Full OK to Novavax COVID Shot for High-Risk Groups
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval to Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, but only for certain people. The vaccine...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.