FDA proposes new regulations on food ingredients

Aug. 10 (UPI) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a new regulation on Monday calling for food companies to disclose the addition of new ingredients in their products to the government.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the proposed rule on Monday. The rule would require companies to demonstrate that new ingredients are safe by submitting data to the FDA.

“We don’t know exactly how many chemicals are in the food that Americans eat every day, and the food industry continues to develop novel compounds and chemical combinations that do not exist in nature,” Kennedy said. “Our bodies did not evolve consuming many of these substances, and that makes rigorous science and transparent safety review even more important.”

The proposal would heighten the scrutiny of products that have been changed or are new altogether. Prior to this rule, food and beverage companies could release products with new ingredients without FDA review by saying the products are “generally recognized as safe.”

However, the rule does not address ingredients that are commonly found in processed foods, ingredients such as refined carbohydrates, which have been found to be linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease. It also does not address high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin and dextrose, all of which are linked to chronic diseases including Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

While announcing the new rule proposal, the Trump administration and its top health chief again declined to define “ultra-processed foods” after promising to do so more than a year ago.