FDA Issues Update on Post-Market Assessments of Chemicals in the Food Supply

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Constituent Update on March 4, 2024, that updates its “List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review.” FDA states that the intent of this update is “…to provide more insight on the status of the FDA’s post-market assessments of chemicals in the food supply.” The information posted today includes many chemicals that FDA has been actively engaged in reviewing for the past several years. The Update also explains the process FDA undertakes to evaluate risk and includes for each chemical a type, a status, and the location of more information. The type definitions are also provided below the table and list itself. FDA notes that “…post-market assessments take time…” and that this is one of the key drivers in the establishment of the proposed Unified Human Foods Program, the purpose of which is to transform “… the agency to be more efficient, nimble, and ready for the future with the ever-changing and complex industries [it] regulate[s]…”