The FDA is proposing to expand its 'threshold of regulation' (TOR) exemption, allowing toxic chemicals to be added directly to food without safety review. Currently, the loophole permits non-carcinogenic substances below 0.5 parts per billion (ppb) in food contact materials. Campaigners warn that many dangerous chemicals, including hormone disruptors linked to brain damage and reproductive harm, are harmful at levels far below this threshold.
The proposed expansion would permit these chemicals as direct ingredients, flavorings, preservatives, and processing aids in ultra-processed foods. This comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the FDA claimed to close the 'generally regarded as safe' (GRAS) loophole, but public health advocates say the new rule includes the TOR expansion, which they call deceptive and based on flawed science.
Experts argue that low-level exposure to multiple toxic chemicals can have cumulative health effects, and consumers would have no way to know if products contain these substances.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing