Reintroduction of the Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025 Aims to Ensure Safe Food Consumption

Strategic Insights -

US Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Rosa DeLauro have reintroduced the Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025, a bill that would require the FDA to assess chemicals added to the food supply for safety. The bill aims to close loopholes that have allowed thousands of chemicals to enter the food supply without proper review. The FDA would be required to re-examine these chemicals every three years, starting with 14 priority chemicals.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025 would require the FDA to reassess chemicals added to the food supply for safety, starting with 14 priority chemicals.
  • The bill would establish an Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation at the FDA to study the safety of chemicals added to food every three years.
  • The FDA would be required to review chemicals added to the food supply through the GRAS loophole, which has allowed thousands of chemicals to enter the food supply with almost no federal oversight.
  • The bill would re-establish a Food Advisory Council to advise the FDA on the best methods to review the safety of food chemicals.
  • The Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025 has been endorsed by several organizations, including the Center for Science and the Public Interest, Consumer Reports, Environmental Working Group, Environmental Defense Fund, and Food and Water Watch.
  • Over 1,000 ingredients in American food have never been reviewed by the FDA, and many more were approved decades ago with little or no data.
  • The bill would help protect public health by ensuring the FDA completes evaluations of chemicals in a timely manner and begins with chemicals that already have evidence of harm.

Statistics:

  • 1,000 ingredients in American food have never been reviewed by the FDA.
  • Over 3,500 staff members at the FDA would be re-hires under the proposed bill to ensure the agency can re-examine food chemicals effectively.
  • 14 priority chemicals would be re-examined by the FDA every three years, starting with Tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), titanium dioxide, red dye 40, yellow dye 5, blue dye 1, blue dye 2, green dye 3, perchlorate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, benzene, ethylene chloride, propyl gallate, sodium nitrite, and sodium benzoate.

Sources:

  • US Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Rosa DeLauro. (2025). Reintroduction of the Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025.
  • Center for Science and the Public Interest (CSPI). (2025). Press Release: Congresswoman Schakowsky and Congresswoman DeLauro Reintroduce Bill to Ensure Safety of Food Chemicals.
  • Environmental Working Group (EWG). (2025). Statement from Jessica Hernandez, EWG Policy Director.
  • Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). (2025). Statement from Maria Doa, Senior Director of Chemicals Policy.
  • Consumer Reports. (2025). Press Release: Consumer Reports Endorses Reintroduction of Bill to Safeguard Consumers from Harmful Food Chemicals.