RFK Jr. Pushes for Stricter Oversight of Chemicals in Food
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025 -- The nation's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is taking steps to tighten oversight of chemicals in the U.S. food supply, a key component of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
On March 10, Kennedy directed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider new rules that would close a decades-old loophole allowing companies to add chemicals to food without government review.
The rule, dubbed "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), lets companies self-certify the safety of certain food additives without notifying the FDA.
Critics contend that this has allowed potentially unsafe substances to enter the food supply without proper oversight.
Kennedy’s proposal could require companies to report all new food ingredients to the FDA and submit safety data.
But no timeline has been set, and the process could take years to finalize.
“It is the lowest of low-hanging fruit,” Scott Faber, a senior vice president of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, told The Washington Post. “But to be fair, this small step is one that no administration has previously taken.”
Kennedy’s announcement coincided with a meeting with top food industry executives, including officials from Tyson Foods, General Mills and Kraft Heinz.
Meanwhile, the Consumer Brands Association, a food industry trade group, called the move "constructive."
Kennedy also expressed a strong desire to remove synthetic food dyes, "and he wants this done before he leaves office," the group's chief executive, Melissa Hockstad, wrote, according to The Post.
Industry leaders are actively responding.
The GRAS “process plays an important role in enabling companies to innovate to meet consumer demand,” Sarah Gallo, a senior vice president at the Consumer Brands Association, said in a statement.
“As the administration looks to revise GRAS, we stand ready to work with agency experts on continued analysis of safe ingredients and increase consumer transparency,” she added.
FDA officials have acknowledged that assessing chemicals in food takes too long.
Former FDA commissioner Robert Califf supported Kennedy’s plan but warned it would require more staff and more money.
"[Kennedy’s proposal] would be really good, but it would mean that the FDA would have to staff up to assess the data that would determine whether an ingredient is safe,” Califf wrote in a text message obtained by The Post. “I’m 100% in favor but the budget impact would be significant.”
Sources
- The Washington Post, March 11, 2025
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