RFK JR indicates the FDA to revise the “self -confirmation” rule to improve the safety of food ingredients | US policy

The American Secretary for Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The move would increase transparency for consumers and the supervision of the FDA via food ingredients that are considered safe, said Kennedy on Monday.

“Many too long have the manufacturers and sponsors of ingredients exploited a gap that has made it possible for new ingredients and chemicals to be introduced into the US food supply with unknown safety data, without notification of the FDA or the public,” he said in a statement.

Kennedy has promised to address an epidemic of chronic diseases with Donald Trump’s support, but his broad agenda to make foods healthier could conflict with the cuts of government spending.

At the moment, the FDA emphatically encourages manufacturers to submit communications according to a rule that is submitted as “generally recognized substances as secure”, but they can also determine the use of a substance itself without notifying the FDA.

The removal of this path would make it mandatory for companies that want to introduce new ingredients in food in order to publicly inform the FDA about its intended use and to submit underlying safety data, said HHS.

The FDA maintains a public inventory in which all communications, supporting data and response letters are available for checking.

Pepsico, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Hershey, Mondelez and Kellanova did not immediately answer Reuters’ inquiries about comments.

A few months ago, the FDA started a restructuring of its food department to increase the monitoring of food supply and agricultural products as part of the former commissioner Robert Califf.

In January it suggested that food companies show nutrition labels on the front of the packages.