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HHS is proposing to require food makers to disclose their own safety findings to the FDA

The rule would close a decades-old gap that let manufacturers add ingredients to food without alerting federal regulators

Kevin Carter / Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a rule that would require food manufacturers to notify the agency when they determine an ingredient is "Generally Recognized as Safe," or GRAS, ending a voluntary system that has left regulators without a full picture of what chemicals are in the U.S. food supply.

Under existing law, companies can self-determine that an ingredient qualifies for GRAS status — meaning it is widely accepted as safe by qualified experts in its intended use — without telling the FDA. The agency has run a voluntary notification........

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