In a watershed moment for American food policy this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the FDA will officially move to reassess the safety of high fructose corn syrup and other ubiquitous refined carbohydrates. The decision fulfills a key pledge of the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda, signaling the administration's intent to overhaul the decades-old regulatory framework that has allowed thousands of additives to enter the food supply with minimal government oversight.
Targeting the 'GRAS' Loophole
The centerpiece of this initiative is the administration's commitment to act on a citizen petition filed by former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler. The petition challenges the FDA's "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) system, a regulatory exemption originally intended for common ingredients like vinegar and salt. Over the last 60 years, however, the provision has evolved into what Kennedy describes as a "loophole" hijacked by the food industry.
Under current GRAS rules, manufacturers can effectively self-regulate, determining that new chemical additives are safe without submitting them to the FDA for formal pre-market approval. Kennedy stated that this system has left the agency in the dark about an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 ingredients currently in the American food supply. "There is no way for any American to know if a product is safe if it is ultra-processed," Kennedy explained during a 60 Minutes interview that aired this week, confirming his department's plan to close the exemption for specific processed ingredients.
High Fructose Corn Syrup & Refined Carbs on Notice
The immediate targets of the review are processed refined carbohydrates, specifically high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and certain modified starches. The Kessler petition argues that these ingredients should no longer be considered GRAS because modern science links them to severe metabolic harm, including the nation's skyrocketing rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
If the FDA revokes the GRAS status for these substances, the burden of proof would shift dramatically. Instead of the FDA having to prove an ingredient is unsafe to remove it, food manufacturers would be required to provide rigorous scientific evidence proving their safety before they can remain on the market. This reversal would essentially force the food industry to re-validate the safety of the foundational ingredients used in thousands of packaged goods, from sodas to cereals.
The MAHA Agenda vs. Industry Pushback
This move represents the most significant clash yet between the Kennedy-led HHS and the $1.5 trillion U.S. food industry. Trade groups like the Consumer Brands Association have already responded, defending the GRAS process as a vital tool that enables "innovation to meet consumer demand" and asserting that companies already adhere to strict safety evaluations.
Despite the aggressive regulatory review, Kennedy has clarified that his goal is not necessarily an outright ban on all ultra-processed foods, but rather to ensure transparency and informed consumer choice. "Our job is to make sure that everybody understands what they're getting," he noted. This stance attempts to thread the needle between the MAHA movement's health goals and the Trump administration's broader deregulation ethos, focusing on "gold-standard science" to empower consumers rather than imposing new taxes or restrictions.
A 'Tobacco Moment' for Big Food?
Dr. Kessler, who famously led the FDA's crackdown on the tobacco industry in the 1990s, views this petition as a potential turning point for public health. He argues that just as the country changed its view on smoking, it must now recognize the metabolic dangers of ultra-processed food technologies. By targeting the legal classification of these ingredients, the administration could force a reformulation of American food products on a scale not seen since the elimination of trans fats.
As the FDA begins this review process, the implications for the food industry are immense. Manufacturers may soon face a choice: reformulate their products to remove these disputed ingredients or prepare for a costly and public legal battle to prove their safety against a mounting body of scientific evidence.
