FDA outlines plan to review safety of common food additives

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Food additives rarely face FDA scrutiny once they’re on the market, even those with mounting evidence of safety concerns. At a meeting held by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, regulators said they plan to change that. 

The public meeting on the FDA’s campus drew dozens of food safety advocates, industry representatives, concerned citizens, and state and federal lawmakers. The attendees delivered a mostly shared message: the current system is untenable, and the agency needs to move quickly to fix it. 

Companies use additives to enhance the color, texture, and durability of our food. Some additives are on a list of ingredients “generally recognized as safe.” Others show up unintentionally in the form of chemical contaminants from the environment or from food packaging.