Robert Kennedy Jr.

RFK Jr. Wants More FDA Oversight of Food Ingredients. It Could End Up Costing $210 Million.

A proposed FDA rule would require food manufacturers to disclose ingredients they deem safe, which the agency admits would have a “significant economic impact” on small businesses.

Reem Ibrahim | 8.11.2026 11:30 AM

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On Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a new federal rule to crack down on food additives in an attempt to fulfil his promise to "Make America Healthy Again."

The rule would close the "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) loophole, which allows companies to self-certify that certain food ingredients are safe—and thus can be added to products—without strict government oversight. Under the new rule, companies would be required to notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when they make a GRAS determination and explain why they made that decision.

While manufacturers would not need FDA approval before bringing a product to market, notifying........

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