- Investigation highlights how a 1950s regulation allows food firms to self-certify synthetic additives.
- Former FDA chief warns human biology is “not intended to handle” modern ultra-processed foods.
- RFK Jr. pledges a “gold standard science” review as chronic disease rates hit record highs.
The integrity of the global food supply chain is facing a major crisis as experts expose a massive regulatory gap allowing thousands of chemicals to enter our diet without government scrutiny.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) loophole—a 67-year-old classification—is being used by major food corporations to self-certify the safety of new synthetic ingredients.
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Originally meant for common pantry staples like vinegar, the rule now allows companies to flood the market with energy-dense, highly palatable substances that bypass the FDA’s full safety review process.
Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler has warned that human biology was never designed to handle the “metabolic havoc” caused by modern ultra-processed foods.
These products now account for a staggering 60% of children’s diets in the West, contributing to what experts call the greatest increase in chronic disease in human history.
The investigation highlights how starch and cheap calories are industrialized into complex additives that are absorbed so rapidly they overwhelm the body’s natural systems.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signaled an “Eat Real Food” policy blitz, promising to act on petitions to revoke the GRAS status for refined carbohydrates.
While the food industry maintains that it adheres to rigorous evidence-based safety standards, critics argue the system is fundamentally broken.
The clash pits powerful lobbies against health advocates who insist that the FDA must return to its original mandate: ensuring that no individual is forced to eat products whose safety is determined solely by the companies selling them.
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