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Planet Money · May 29, 2026 · 35m

The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food

Show Notes

The vast majority of chemicals in our food were added without any FDA review, thanks to a loophole in the 1958 Food Additives Amendment. Food companies and chemical makers can declare new substances 'Generally Recognized As Safe' (GRAS) without government approval, and the FDA has formally endorsed this self‑certification process. The episode explores how this loophole came to be and what it reveals about the U.S. priority on speed and innovation over precaution. It also follows one lawyer who is challenging the entire GRAS system.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Canon

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The GRAS Loophole: Companies Self-Certify Food Chemical Safety
Food companies can bypass FDA review by declaring new chemicals 'Generally Recognized As Safe' (GRAS), a loophole in the 1958 law.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Highlights

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99% of food chemicals added without FDA approval
99% of chemicals in our food were added without any FDA review, many through a secret loophole.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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FDA admits it can't verify the safety of new food chemicals
The FDA has essentially acknowledged that it lacks the resources to review the safety of new food chemicals, leaving industry to self-certify.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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One lawyer takes on the entire GRAS system
A lawyer is challenging the FDA's GRAS loophole, questioning how much a single person can do against a deeply embedded regulatory structure.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Editorial

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U.S. prioritizes speed and innovation over food safety
The GRAS system reflects a deliberate trade-off: the U.S. values fast market access for new food chemicals more than rigorous pre-market safety testing.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Misc

✧99% of chemicals in our food were added without FDA approval.
✧The FDA formally okayed the loophole in the 90s — and in the process brought attention to a loophole to the loophole.
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