The practice Kennedy is targeting, known as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), can occur when companies self-certify the safety of a food additive.

It’s time to revamp the FDA’s “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, program that allows companies to add untested ingredients to food, the Health and Human Services secretary says. That may be difficult to do.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the Food and Drug Administration on Monday to revise its rule allowing food companies to "self-affirm" that its ingredients are safe.