FDA Will Hold Meeting in September 2024 on Development of Enhanced Systematic Process for Post-Market Assessment of Chemicals in Food, Announces Executive Career Opportunities Related to Human Foods Program

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on August 1, 2024, that it will hold a public meeting on September 25, 2024, on the development of an enhanced systematic process for its post-market assessment of chemicals in food. FDA states that this includes ingredients considered generally recognized as safe (GRAS), food additives, color additives, food contact substances, and contaminants. According to FDA, this is intended to guide its post-market assessment work going forward and includes a transparent process for identifying and prioritizing food chemicals currently in the market for safety reviews. FDA notes that this project is part of a larger enhanced approach for food chemical safety. During the meeting, FDA will hear stakeholder perspectives on this proposal. This information will help inform its thinking and further the development of the process. FDA will post more meeting specifics, including information on how to register for the meeting, “later in August.”

On August 1, 2024, FDA also announced executive career opportunities related to its reorganization to create a unified Human Foods Program. FDA anticipates making more announcements as it continues to work toward the reorganized Human Foods Program. According to FDA, the reorganization will allow it to realize more effectively the vision laid out in the Food Safety Modernization Act, elevate the importance of nutrition to help reduce diet-related diseases, modernize and strengthen oversight of food chemical safety, strengthen state partnerships, and embrace innovative food and agricultural technologies that will position FDA to regulate more effectively and uphold safety of the nation’s food supply.