Program includes review of existing chemicals, developing final, systematic process for postmarket review<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Stephanie Brown HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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MONDAY, May 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a move to improve transparency and strengthen the safety of chemicals used in the nation’s food supply.<\/p>\n
The agency is implementing an enhanced review process for food chemicals currently available on the U.S. market, with a particular focus on those that have raised consumer concerns.<\/p>\n
Previously, the FDA conducted postmarket reviews reactively, typically triggered by citizen petitions or emerging scientific evidence. Now, the agency is implementing a new framework for these reviews. This updated approach will be “proactive, science-based, and built for long-term impact,” the FDA writes in a press release.<\/p>\n
“We are prioritizing our resources and leveraging gold standard science to create, for the first time, a systematic postmarket review program that consumers can trust and rely on,” FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., said in a statement. “Only by improving the safety and transparency of the food supply and ensuring consumers can make healthful food choices will we overcome the long-standing trajectory of chronic diseases.”<\/p>\n
During the next few months, the FDA is planning to implement several key actions, including a new, evidence-based approach to prioritizing the review of existing chemicals, with a draft of this scheme to be released soon for public feedback. Additionally, the FDA will be implementing a final, systematic process for postmarket review, which has been developed with input from stakeholders.<\/p>\n
The FDA will also update its list of chemicals currently under review, including synthetic antioxidant food additives butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and azodicarbonamide, a chemical foaming agent. The agency intends to expedite the review process for chemicals already under scrutiny, such as phthalates, propylparaben, and titanium dioxide.<\/p>\n
As part of its commitment to greater transparency, the FDA will continue to provide updates on the progress of this work on its website.<\/p>\n