Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the GRAS self-certification system: warns against

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warns that the GRAS (“generally recognized as safe”) self-certification system is a loophole that lets unknown chemicals into the food supply. He says industry self-determination of ingredient safety without FDA notification means, in his words: “We don’t even know exactly how many chemicals are in the food that Americans eat every day,” per CNN and STAT News coverage of his August 10, 2026 announcement.

Kennedy’s stated reasoning is that decades of voluntary, company-driven safety determinations have left regulators blind, and that mandatory GRAS notifications — FDA review within 45 days, substantive review within 180 days — will close the gap. Critics of the plan note it still stops short of pre-market approval, with companies continuing to make initial safety determinations themselves.

This page chronicles a stated position of the person above. It is not medical advice and not the site's own conclusion.