Tag: GRAS

  • Sazerac Recalls Fireball Whiskey Containing Propylene Glycol at Levels Exceeding European Restrictions

    Sazerac Co. has recalled its Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey from Sweden, Norway and Finland because some batches contain levels of flavoring chemical propylene glycol that exceed European limits. The company says that it mistakenly shipped batches to Europe that were intended for the United States, where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows higher levels…

  • FDA Agrees to Finalize GRAS Rule by August 2016

    According to a proposed consent decree filed in a D.C. district court, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will “submit a final rule regarding ‘Substances Generally Recognized as Safe’ [GRAS] to the Federal Register for publication no later than August 31, 2016.” Ctr. for Food Safety v. Burwell, No. 14-0267 (U.S. Dist. Ct., D.D.C.,…

  • Washington Post Targets Lack of Food Additive Scrutiny

    Discussing the expedited approval process for food additives that took effect 17 years ago, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Food Michael Taylor recently told Washington Post reporter Kimberly Kindy that the agency does not have “the information to vouch for the safety of many of these chemicals.” According to the August…

  • NRDC Claims GRAS Process Is Flawed

    The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has issued a report claiming that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) generally recognized as safe (GRAS) process for identifying food additives not required to undergo premarket approval is flawed and calling for legislation to change the process. According to NRDC, minimal FDA supervision and “a gaping loophole…

  • ICGA Submits Comments on Use of PHOs in Chewing Gum

    The International Chewing Gum Association (ICGA) recently submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the agency’s proposal to revoke the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs). Noting that PHOs are used in some chewing gum products “as softeners or texturizers at levels typically in the range…

  • Industry Groups Submit Comments to FDA Trans Fat Docket

    The National Association of Margarine Manufacturers (NAMM) and American Bakers Association (ABA) have submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) rulemaking docket about the agency’s tentative determination to remove partially hydrogenated oils from the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) list. NAMM contends that “the great majority of margarine products no longer contain…

  • FDA Enters Consent Decree on FSMA Rulemaking Timeline

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has entered a consent decree with the Center for Food Safety, which sued the agency over its alleged failure to comply with implementation rulemaking deadlines in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Ctr. for Food Safety v. Hamburg, No. 12-4529 (N.D. Cal., decree filed February 20, 2014). Under…

  • FDA Guidance Differentiates Liquid Dietary Supplements from Beverages

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two final guidance documents for industry on distinguishing liquid dietary supplements from beverages. Titled “Distinguishing Liquid Dietary Supplements From Beverages” and “Considerations Regarding Substances Added to Foods, Including Beverages and Dietary Supplements,” the documents update 2009 draft guidance intended “to help dietary supplement and beverage manufacturers…