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'Generally Recognized as Safe' ingredients: what does that mean?

On Mar 6, 2026, PolitiFact reported that Dr. David A. Kessler, former FDA commissioner, asked the FDA to strip GRAS status from more than a dozen ingredients, citing potential harm from refined carbs.
A 1958 law established the GRAS exception, which exempts ingredients from stricter oversight and allows food companies and industry-paid consultants to use their own research or non-FDA-qualified experts to claim GRAS status.
Targeted items include refined sweeteners and refined flours and starches, and Kessler asked the FDA to reclassify them as food additives requiring premarket review.
Food companies could reformulate or seek approvals, and the FDA typically allows time to adjust, as seen with partially hydrogenated oils; consumers' home use would not be targeted.
On March 6, 2026, '60 Minutes' reported that the FDA's limited resources could delay regulatory changes, despite Kennedy's indication it would 'act on' the petition.

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