Washington, United States. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Food and Drug Administration will consider a petition to revoke the safety status of dozens of processed refined carbohydrates unless food companies can prove they are safe and not contributing to health issues and obesity.
Petition and GRAS classification
Kennedy said the FDA would take up a request by former agency Commissioner David Kessler, who asked last August to remove corn syrup and dozens of other sweeteners and starches from the list of ingredients classified as GRAS, or Generally Recognized as Safe.
“We will act on David Kessler’s petition,” Kennedy said in remarks aired on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” He added that the questions raised in the petition were ones the FDA should have been asking “a long, long time ago.”
Oversight and potential policy change
Kennedy and Kessler said the GRAS classification, enacted by Congress in 1958, has allowed the use of ingredients without a full government safety review because it permits food companies to verify the safety of those items without oversight. Kennedy said he intends to close that loophole if he gets White House approval.
Comments on ultraprocessed foods
Kennedy described ultraprocessed foods as containing multiple ingredients not commonly used in home cooking, including refined starches, added sugars and industrial oils as primary ingredients, as well as additives such as emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, colorants and artificial flavors. He said these products are designed for hyper-palatability and convenience.
“There is no way for any American to know if a product is safe if it is ultraprocessed,” Kennedy said on “60 Minutes.”
Industry response
The Consumer Brands Association, a trade group, said in a statement that food companies already “adhere to the FDA’s science and risk-based evaluation of ingredients in the food supply.”
What do you think the FDA should require from companies to demonstrate that ingredients classified as GRAS are safe?
