RFK Jr. Warns Food Manufacturers
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warns that ultraprocessed foods now make up half of the average American's diet, claiming food manufacturers have hijacked the GRAS loophole—a 67-year-old exemption allowing questionable ingredients into products. He argues this regulatory gap creates Americans who are simultaneously "obese and malnourished."
- The "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) provision was created in 1958 to allow common ingredients like vinegar and flour to bypass lengthy FDA safety reviews. However, in 1997, the FDA established a voluntary notification system, permitting manufacturers to self-determine that a new ingredient is safe without informing the agency. - Since 2000, an estimated 99% of the new chemicals added to food have been introduced through the GRAS process, often without the FDA's knowledge or oversight. - A 2024 umbrella review of 45 separate analyses, which included nearly 10 million people, found that diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked to 32 negative health outcomes, including cancer, major heart and lung conditions, and early death. - The World Health Organization classifies ultra-processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen, the same category as tobacco and asbestos, for their connection to colorectal cancer. - Some ingredients designated as GRAS by manufacturers include Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a chemical listed under California's Proposition 65 as a carcinogen, which is used in products like cereals and potato chips. - If the FDA questions the safety of a voluntarily submitted GRAS substance, the manufacturer can withdraw its notification, hire its own experts to affirm the ingredient's safety, and proceed to use it, bypassing the agency's concerns. - In response to these concerns, Congress is considering multiple bills, such as the "Toxic Free Food Act" and the "Better Food Disclosure Act of 2025," which aim to increase transparency and regulatory oversight of the GRAS system. - Several states, including New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, are not waiting for federal action and have introduced their own legislation to regulate food additives and reform the GRAS system at the state level.
