"Roughly 99 percent of chemicals added to food since 2000 were approved for use by the chemical and food industry — not federal regulators — according to a new analysis from the Environmental Working Group.
The analysis takes aim at a little-known loophole in laws governing the Food and Drug Administration that allows chemicals that are “generally recognized as safe” by their manufacturers to avoid FDA oversight. Originally intended to cover widely used ingredients like flour, vinegar and sugar, the loophole, known as GRAS, has been stretched over time to include human-made compounds that manufacturers say are safe for use in food.
Under GRAS, manufacturers determine new chemicals are safe to put in the food supply and then choose whether or not to tell FDA about the decisions, often leaving FDA in the dark about compounds being added to food."
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