What’s for Lunch? New Food Safety Bill Targets Unregulated Additives in School Meals

As students across the country head back to class, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) has introduced legislation that could reshape how food safety is regulated — and keep potentially harmful chemicals out of children’s lunches. His proposed bill, the Grocery Reform and Safety Act (GRAS Act), would overhaul a decades-old policy that allows food companies to self-certify ingredients as “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS.

How the GRAS System Works

Under current U.S. law, food manufacturers can determine whether a new ingredient is safe for consumption, without requiring a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This practice stems from a provision in the 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The rule was originally intended for everyday ingredients like salt or vinegar, but over the years, the GRAS process has expanded far beyond that original scope.

Today, it’s used to introduce thousands of substances into the food supply — many of which, according to Pallone, have never undergone formal federal safety evaluations.

“Unfortunately, a law that’s more than fifty years old is being used as a loophole by companies to avoid scrutiny of the chemicals they’re putting in our food,” Pallone said in a statement. “That’s not how food safety should work, especially when it comes to products our kids eat every day.”