RFK Jr. GRAS Proposal: Cato Scholar Backs Disclosure, Warns Against FDA Veto

“As I understand the proposal, the FDA would require food manufacturers that determine an ingredient is ‘generally recognized as safe,’ or GRAS, to notify the agency and provide the evidence supporting that determination. Manufacturers would not need FDA approval before bringing the product to market and could continue using the ingredient while the FDA reviews the submission.”

“In a free society, competent adults should be able to decide for themselves what foods and ingredients they are willing to consume. Accurate information about what products contain and their known risks helps people make informed choices, but government should not have the power to make those choices for them.”

“Against that baseline, I don’t object to requiring manufacturers to disclose their GRAS determinations and the evidence supporting them, so long as FDA approval is not a prerequisite for bringing a product to market. That kind of transparency can facilitate consumer choice without giving government a veto over that choice.”