Food ingredients face tighter US oversight proposal

The Trump administration proposed a rule on Monday that would require food companies to tell government regulators when they add new ingredients to products.

Health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr said Americans deserved more transparency as he unveiled the measure, which will be subject to public comment.

Food safety experts have said the existing system allowed thousands of substances, including thickeners, stabilizers and flavorings, to enter the US food supply with little oversight or safety assurance.

For many years, companies could introduce new ingredients without Food and Drug Administration review under the GRAS rule, short for “generally recognized as safe.” The process was originally intended for common ingredients such as flour or baking soda, but companies used it to self-certify a wider range of substances.

Food manufacturers have opposed efforts to reform GRAS rules and Kennedy's push for a federal definition of ultra-processed foods. Kennedy said on Monday that such a definition had been developed, but he did not release it.

The proposed GRAS rule was described as light on details and did not include a timeline.