(NaturalHealth365)  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was established to protect Americans from dangerous, unsanitary, or harmful ingredients in both medicines and food.  While the FDA plays a modest role in reducing foodborne illnesses, banning unsafe additives, and ensuring companies comply with certain guidelines, its regulatory framework has significant flaws, to say the least.

The problem lies in the fact that the FDA allows companies to conduct their own research to determine the safety of ingredients in their products.  This means that although the FDA sets standards for what qualifies as GRAS, or “generally regarded as safe” ingredients, food manufacturers are often left to police themselves, classifying their own ingredients under this category without independent oversight.

Though it may seem like business as usual, this regulatory loophole is a growing concern that becomes more hazardous with each passing year.  Let’s examine how this gap impacts the safety of America’s food supply and why it matters.

What does “generally regarded as safe” mean?

American food is widely regarded as among the worst in the world – not because of scarcity or contamination, as seen in poorer countries, but due to the shortcuts taken by massive corporations.

These companies add excessive amounts of sugar and highly processed ingredients to increase profits and lower production costs.  Additionally, they overload products with additives designed to make food more addictive and flavorful, resulting in calorie-dense, nutrient-stripped, and overall toxic food.

The FDA remains hands-off regarding the widespread issue of ultra-processed foods.  While the agency does oversee specific ingredients to prevent the use of blatantly dangerous substances like coal or industrial chemicals, the broader problem of ultra-processing goes unchecked.

The FDA relies on the GRAS (generally regarded as safe) classification system, but the criteria for this label are vague and inconsistent.  For example, black pepper is classified as safe and would require a large amount to cause harm.  Salt is also considered safe, yet it can be harmful in high doses.  The same applies to numerous chemicals used in processed foods: they may be deemed safe in small quantities, but no comprehensive research has been conducted on the effects of long-term, high-volume exposure to these substances.

This leaves consumers vulnerable to unknown health risks hidden in everyday foods.

Why it’s dangerous to allow the food industry to self-regulate

Currently, the FDA largely allows the food industry to self-regulate when it comes to the safety of chemicals and additives in food.  The FDA only steps in if damage or harm is reported after the fact.  While they occasionally review certain ingredients, it’s rare and far from comprehensive.  For example, in 2023, the FDA reviewed only 21 food additives, less than 5% of the total number submitted that year.

One glaring example of the risks is caffeine.  In the 1970s, the FDA classified caffeine as “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS) at very low levels – just 0.02% of a product’s ingredients.  However, energy drinks and other products now contain much higher levels of caffeine, far exceeding what was initially deemed safe.  In 2023, several people died from extreme caffeine exposure after consuming Panera’s “Charged Lemonade,” highlighting the dangers of unchecked self-regulation.

Self-regulation leads to disaster because companies prioritize profit over safety.  They may conduct weak or biased research, inflate safe limits of ingredients after FDA approval, or manipulate studies to meet FDA guidelines, only to later increase harmful amounts in their products.  This creates endless ways for companies to endanger public health.

Beyond additives, ultra-processed foods themselves are harmful.  Stripping fiber and protein from grains, adding excessive seed oils and sugars, and engineering foods to be hyper-palatable fuels obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other health crises.

This isn’t just a U.S. issue – it’s a global epidemic driven by profit-focused corporations with little oversight.

How can you protect your family from FDA failure?

It is unlikely that the FDA will change its course in allowing companies to self-regulate unless action is taken at the grassroots level.  Contacting your local legislature is a great way to put pressure on them and then pressure the FDA to change how they evaluate the food we eat.

Additionally, disengaging with the food industry is probably the best thing that anyone can do in this day and age.  The purpose of the food industry is to make money – It’s not to feed people, support farmers, or build a population of healthy citizens.  Their goal is to make the most highly addictive food for the cheapest possible price and get you hooked on it.

Companies strip all the healthy and nutritional content from food to make it ultra-palatable and then fill it with ingredients to make it seem healthy.

Grow your own food or buy food from small organic farms and local livestock purveyors.  Fish in streams that are safe, learn to hunt or buy from reputable companies that provide quality wild and 100% grass fed animal products.

The less your food is influenced by the FDA or the food industry, the healthier you’ll be.

Sources for this article include:

Aphapublications.org