HHS proposes food policy reforms to expand ingredient oversight, strengthen nutrition research
The administration says the changes are intended to bring greater accountability to the food supply and support its broader push to reduce chronic disease.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Aug. 10 two proposed measures affecting federal oversight of food ingredients and nutrition research as part of what it described as the Trump administration’s effort to Make America Healthy Again.
The first proposal would require manufacturers to notify the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when they determine that a substance added to human or animal food is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), according to an Aug. 10 release from HHS.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the measures are central to the administration’s effort to address what he described as the nation’s chronic disease epidemic. The release noted that ultra-processed foods account for nearly 60% of the American diet and that childhood obesity affects more than one in five children.
“We cannot reverse America’s chronic disease epidemic without transforming our food system,” Kennedy said. “These historic actions bring greater transparency to what’s in our food and stronger science to federal nutrition policy. President Trump and I promised to Make America Healthy Again, and today we are turning that promise into policy.”
Under the current GRAS exemption system, manufacturers may independently determine that substances are generally safe for their intended use, allowing them to enter the food supply without prior FDA approval. The exemption dates to 1958, and companies have not been required to report those determinations to the FDA, according to the release.
The FDA’s proposal would change that by requiring companies to report their GRAS determinations, which the agency would make public. According to the release, companies would also have to report substances already on the market based on their own GRAS determinations. HHS said those reports would help the FDA identify substances that may need further safety review.
In a separate action, HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture submitted the federal government’s first proposed definition of ultra-processed foods for final review.
Federal agencies do not currently use a standard definition of ultra-processed foods, which HHS said has made research across the government less consistent.
The proposed definition draws on feedback from thousands of researchers, consumer organizations, industry representatives, and members of the public, according to the release.
Kyle Diamantas, acting FDA Commissioner, said in the release that the measures are part of a broader effort to improve federal safeguards for the nation’s food supply.
“Americans deserve confidence that the ingredients in their food are subject to transparent, science-based oversight, and today’s actions strengthen both sides of that equation,” Diamantas said. “Together, these reforms represent a significant step toward a more transparent and modern food safety system.”
