RFK Jr. to announce plan to close food chemical loophole
US Health Secretary RFK Jr. is set to unveil a plan to alter a loophole letting food companies use certain chemicals without FDA notification.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to announce a plan on Monday to overhaul a long-standing regulatory loophole that permits food manufacturers to use certain chemicals in their products without notifying federal regulators, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The proposed changes, reported by the Washington Post, target a decades-old provision that has allowed companies to bypass the standard approval process for food additives. Under current rules, some substances can be introduced into the food supply without prior review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a gap that critics say leaves consumers exposed to potentially harmful ingredients.
Kennedy, who has made food safety a priority, is likely to outline measures that would close this loophole and require more transparency from industry. The exact details of the plan have not been publicly released, and the report has not been independently verified.
If implemented, the changes could significantly alter how food companies bring new ingredients to market, potentially requiring them to seek FDA approval before use. The announcement is expected to draw attention from both consumer advocacy groups and the food industry, which has long relied on the existing framework.
No further specifics were available at the time of writing.