GRAS Food-Additive Transparency Rule
Advancing
On August 10, 2026, Kennedy unveiled a proposed FDA rule making GRAS (“generally recognized as safe”) notifications mandatory, ending decades of voluntary self-certification by food companies, per CNN and STAT News. Under the proposal, FDA reviews a GRAS notice within 45 days, with a substantive review completed within 180 days.
Kennedy justified the rule as a matter of visibility into the food supply, saying: “We don’t even know exactly how many chemicals are in the food that Americans eat every day.” FDA estimates the rule would cost $90 million to $210 million over 10 years, per Reason.
Critics of the plan note it stops short of pre-market approval — companies would still self-determine safety, but would have to notify FDA. Related efforts under Kennedy include a federal definition of “ultra-processed foods” sent for final interagency review, and FDA approval of new natural color-additive petitions as companies — under his pressure — phase out petroleum-based dyes.
Timeline
- August 10, 2026 — Kennedy unveils proposed FDA rule making GRAS notifications mandatory; CNN, STAT News, and Bloomberg Law cover the announcement.
- August 11, 2026 — Reason reports the rule’s estimated $90M–$210M ten-year cost and notes it stops short of pre-market approval.
