A long-standing practice allowing food and beverage companies to self-certify new ingredients as safe without regulatory review may soon face major changes. Under a proposed update, manufacturers would be required to notify the Food and Drug Administration before introducing new substances into human or animal food. The shift could bring greater transparency and oversight to an industry that has operated under voluntary self-regulation for decades. Critics argue the move is long overdue, while industry groups may resist stricter pre-market scrutiny.
For nearly 70 years, food and beverage companies have been able to decide on their own that a new ingredient is safe and put it on the market without informing the Food and Drug Administration. But a new proposal could require that companies notify the agency when they add a new substance to human or animal food.
