Interagency MOU Addresses Chemical Contaminants in Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products
In a move described as advancing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative, the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and EPA have updated a memorandum of understanding (MOU) addressing drug residues, pesticide residues, and chemical contaminants in meat, poultry, and egg products. Announced July 10, 2026, the MOU is intended […]
FDA Proposes to Make GRAS Notifications Mandatory
For decades, companies have been able to “self-affirm” that a substance is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) without notifying FDA, allowing certain substances to enter the food supply without direct agency review. That framework could soon change. In a proposed rule published August 11, 2026, FDA would require any person who introduces a substance into […]
Federal Legislation Would Deem 15 Chemicals Unsafe in Food Packaging
On June 9, 2026, lawmakers introduced the No Toxic Chemicals in Food Packaging Act of 2026, which would ban 15 chemicals or chemical classes—including PFAS, ortho-phthalates, and bisphenol A—from food-contact use. H.R.9231 was introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and […]
GRAS Reform Update: Where Do Things Stand?
For decades, food manufacturers have relied on a regulatory pathway known as Generally Recognized as Safe—or GRAS—to introduce substances into the food supply without formal FDA approval. Under this framework, a substance may bypass the agency’s premarket review process if qualified experts generally recognize it as safe for its intended use. That practice is now […]
Fourth Circuit to Review West Virginia Dye Ban Injunction
The Fourth Circuit will decide whether a lower court properly paused enforcement of a West Virginia law banning certain FDA-approved synthetic color additives over concerns the statute is unconstitutionally vague. The case arises from a 2025 West Virginia law designating seven color additives as “poisonous and injurious” and prohibiting their use in school nutrition programs—including […]
FDA Withdraws Asbestos Testing Proposal for Talc Cosmetics
On November 28, 2025, in response to adverse comments, FDA published a notice announcing its withdrawal a December 2024 proposed rule that would have required manufacturers of talc-containing cosmetic products to test for asbestos. The rulemaking is required by section 3505 of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA), which directs FDA to […]
FDA Defends Phthalate Food Additive Authorizations in Legal Challenge
FDA acted reasonably when it denied a petition seeking to remove authorization for five phthalate chemicals used as food additives, the FDA told the D.C. Circuit on August 13, 2025. The case, Alaska Community Action on Toxics v. FDA, No. 24-1382, marks the latest dispute over the safety of chemicals long used in food packaging […]
Are You Ready for Mandatory GRAS Notifications?
The second Trump administration’s first Unified Regulatory Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, published September 4, 2025, indicates that FDA is close to initiating a rulemaking to overhaul the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) regulations—a change that could significantly raise regulatory expectations for food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. What Does the Unified Agenda Say? […]
Environmental Groups Call on FDA to Revoke Approval of Fluorinated Plastic for Food Contact
A coalition of environmental and health groups led by the Environmental Defense Fund have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke approval of fluorinated polyethylene as an indirect food additive. According to the petition, manufacture of fluorinated polyethylene produces PFAS, including harmful perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids if water or oxygen is present. FDA approved […]
FDA Issues Draft Guidance for MoCRA Facility Registration and Product Listing
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released draft guidance, Draft Guidance for Industry: Registration and Listing of Product Facilities and Products, on the new regulatory requirements established in the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA). Among other provisions, MoCRA added section 607 to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA), requiring cosmetic […]