Giannoulias Encourages FDA to Review Harmful Chemicals in Food Supply

Giannoulias Encourages FDA to Review Harmful Chemicals in Food Supply

GRAS designation under scrutiny as FDA introduces new post-market review process

Ahead of a public meeting to discuss food safety, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is advocating that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) develop a post-market assessment program to test harmful chemicals in our food supply.

The “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) designation currently allows food manufacturers – not the FDA – to decide if chemical additives are safe for consumption. This legal loophole has allowed food dyes, preservatives and other chemicals to be placed on store shelves with little to no oversight from the FDA, the federal agency tasked with ensuring food is safe. Many of these GRAS ingredients have been linked to serious health problems, including hyperactivity, nervous system damage, reproductive issues, hormonal damage and increased risk of cancer.

“Allowing the company that produces the ultra-processed food to decide if a chemical is safe, without having to inform the FDA, makes no sense and it adds up to a dangerous game for American families to play,” Giannoulias said. “Developing a rigorous review program that puts our health first and addresses the impact of chemicals in our food will go a long way to holding food manufacturers accountable and restoring trust and confidence in the FDA.”

The Secretary of State oversees Illinois’ organ donation registry, which is one of the largest in the nation. Studies have shown that organ damage and failure is a consequence of the health risks associated with chemical additives, particularly in children. Keeping donors’ organs healthy for individuals suffering from life-threatening diseases or injuries who need transplants is critical.

Many food chemicals have never been meaningfully reassessed for safety, even if they were approved decades ago and new science has since demonstrated potential harms. Instead, the product is brought straight to market for human consumption without a systematic health and safety review. According to a 2022 Environmental Working Group analysis, “since 2000, food and chemical companies have petitioned the FDA only 10 times to approve a new substance. By contrast, for 756 of 766 new food chemicals added to the food supply since then, or 98.7 percent, these companies have exploited a loophole for substances that are 'generally recognized as safe,' or GRAS.”

During the past year, the FDA has undergone a major reorganization of its Human Foods Program and established the Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements and Innovation. Additional steps have been taken including the development of an enhanced systematic process for the post-market assessment of chemicals in foods.

European and other nations have outlawed many GRAS chemicals and mandate that corporations formulate their products with safer alternatives. In the U.S., California recently passed a law that outlaws several harmful chemicals in the food supply that goes into effect in 2027.

Last year, Secretary Giannoulias, with the help of State Senator Willie Preston (16th District—Chicago) and State Representative Anne Stava-Murray (81st District —Downers Grove), introduced The Illinois Food Safety Act (SB 2637) which seeks to ban the sale of foods in Illinois containing chemical additives that have been linked to health issues.

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