Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. indicated that the Food and Drug Administration will "take action" regarding a petition that requests a safety evaluation of certain components present in ultra-processed foods.
The citizen petition, which was submitted last year by former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler, asserts that "processed refined carbohydrates" such as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and refined flours are associated with health problems like elevated blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, and excessive belly fat.
The petition claims that the classification of these ingredients as generally recognized as safe relies on outdated information and that the agency is empowered to reassess the safety of specific refined sugars and flours.
The questions he is asking are ones that the FDA ought to have investigated a long time ago. Kennedy did not specify if the agency would give a formal reply to Kessler's request or when that response might occur.
The FDA is obligated to address petitions within a 180-day timeframe, a deadline that has already been surpassed. Nevertheless, last week the FDA provided an "interim response," mentioning that it has not "come to a complete final conclusion" regarding the petition.
The FDA noted that any substance added purposefully to food is categorized as a food additive and must receive a pre-market evaluation and approval from the agency, unless classified as "generally recognized as safe," commonly referred to as GRAS. For an ingredient to be classified as GRAS, safety data must be accessible to the public, and it must be widely acknowledged as safe by "qualified" experts.
Examples of ingredients considered GRAS include canola oil, vinegar, and spices like black pepper. "Over the past four decades, the United States has been subjected to something that our biology wasn't designed to cope with," Kessler expressed during "60 Minutes." "Energy-rich, highly appealing, quickly absorbed, ultra-processed foods have changed our metabolism and led to the greatest rise in chronic illnesses in our history," he elaborated.
"Conditions like Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, abnormal lipid levels, fatty liver disease, heart attacks, strokes, heart failure... all resulting from our diet." Kennedy stated that the GRAS loophole, which enables food or ingredient producers to independently conclude whether an additive is safe and complies with FDA standards, has been "manipulated."
Although Kennedy mentioned he has presidential backing to challenge the food industry, he refrained from claiming the government would regulate ultra-processed foods. "I’m not indicating that we will regulate ultra-processed food," Kennedy explained on "60 Minutes." "Our role is to ensure that everyone is aware of what they are consuming, fostering an informed public."
For many years, Kennedy has admonished the U.S. food sector and the rise of ultra-processed foods, attributing them as a factor in the surge of chronic diseases in the nation. He stated during a health roundtable event in September 2024 chaired by Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin,
"Many of these substances are prohibited in Europe, yet they are found everywhere in processed foods in the United States. We are essentially harming our children consistently for financial gain."
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