This mouthful of a title alludes to a twin purpose: modifying the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and establishing the Office of Food Safety Reassessment. This potential new office has quite a task on its plate; one that concerns the bread you eat, the soup you sip, and every snack in between.
The task? Reassessing the safety of food additives, food contact substances, substances usually considered safe in food, and substances used with prior sanction, essentially ensuring these components aren’t spoiling the proverbial broth—our food.
The bill specifies that the Office of Food Safety Reassessment should be operational within a year post-enactment of the Food Chemical Reassessment Act. As a part of this timeline, reassessment should take place every three years, starting from 2024. It’s like a regular check-up for the ingredients in your kitchen cupboard.
For each cycle, they will reassess the safety of at least ten food substances. And depending upon their findings, they’ll issue final regulations that might validate a substance as safe, establish conditions under which it can be safely used, or mark it off as unsafe.
Now, you might be wondering — which substances are going to be under this analytical lens first? The initial list spans a range from Tert-butylhydroquinone to Sulfuric acid, one that might sound like a spell out of a Hogwarts potions class but is essentially repetitive components in our food.
This isn’t some isolated endeavor either. The Act proposes a resurrection of the Food Advisory Committee within half a year of enactment. This group will serve as an advisory board to the Secretary, especially with regards to the standards for reassessment and outlining the work process for the Office.
While this legislative proposal may seem like a feast of jargon, it’s ultimately about reassessing substances that work their way into our food — whether through contact materials, additives, or processes enlisted prior to 1958. These recurring reviews aim to ensure that no one bites off more than they can chew safety-wise, essentially keeping the food we eat, well, safe to eat.
Like any proposed legislation, this Bill now awaits consideration from the Committee on Energy and Commerce. If passed, this Act could impact everything from additive manufacturers to consumer goods industries, not to mention every supermarket aisle you meander through. After all, ensuring food safety is a key ingredient in maintaining public health.
