GRAS is a bedrock concept in American law, one that uniquely blends the current state of scientific knowledge into a crucially important legal standard. The concept has special importance in the realm of food additive and packaging materials. Though some voices both inside and outside of government are calling for changes to the legal treatment of GRAS uses of substances, it is not clear that the suggested changes would make good public policy or would have much effect on safety. In this discussion, an attorney who represents makers of food and food contact materials, and who has had extensive experience evaluating GRAS uses of substances and submitting evaluations to FDA, discusses the nature of GRAS and the wisdom of proposed changes.

An industry representative's views on the regulation of GRAS food contact substances and ingredients

245th National Meeting (2013)

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