Why most food chemicals in your diet never received official FDA approval

A 1958 law intended to regulate food additives has been bypassed by a widespread industry workaround. This video examines how companies self-certify the safety of new chemicals and what this reveals about the balance between regulatory oversight and corporate innovation in the American food system.

The 1958 Food Additives Amendment was designed to mandate FDA approval for new substances entering the food supply. However, chemical makers and food companies discovered a loophole that allows them to bypass this process entirely. By 1997, the FDA had formally accepted this practice, which effectively shifts the responsibility of safety verification from the regulator to the manufacturers themselves.

Today, an estimated 99% of chemicals currently in our food were added without direct FDA approval. These substances appear in a wide range of common products, including protein drinks, tea bags, popcorn, chocolate, and smoked fish. The situation highlights significant questions regarding the FDA's capacity to oversee food safety and the priority given to rapid innovation over rigorous testing.

Source: The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food | Planet Money