Are there government regulations on ultra-processed foods? What does the FDA say about them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his book Ultra-Processed People, <\/em>Dr. Chris van Tulleken explains that there are very few ultra-processed food regulations. This allows companies to bypass the FDA when they put additives in foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s how it came to be this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Most people assume that any chemically altered substances and artificial ingredients in their food have been certified as safe by the government. Unfortunately, van Tulleken explains, that isn\u2019t the case. In the US, for example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows food companies to \u201cself-certify\u201d their new additives, meaning that they aren\u2019t required to submit any proof to the government that they\u2019ve done testing on UPF\u2019s safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How did the omission of ultra-processed food regulations happen? In the 1950s, the US government became concerned about the many new industrially produced chemicals that companies were adding to food. The legislature passed a law requiring testing and formal approval by the FDA before an additive could be used in food. However, the law provided an exception for additives that were \u201cgenerally recognized as safe (GRAS),\u201d so that common ingredients like salt wouldn’t have to go through the FDA’s extensive approval process.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many UPS manufacturers began using this exception as a loophole, and eventually, due to a backlog in GRAS applications, the FDA decided to allow companies to make their own determinations about whether their additives were safe. This means that UPF manufacturers don\u2019t need to get government approval for new food additives.<\/strong> Not only that, but if a company does apply to the FDA for GRAS approval and the FDA expresses concerns about the safety of the additive, the company can simply withdraw its application and certify the additive’s safety itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are probably around 10,000 food additives in the US, but we don’t even know for sure how many there are because companies that self-certify don’t have to inform the FDA that they’re doing so. <\/p>\n\n\n\nDon\u2019t Governments Regulate Food Additives?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n