Approving preservatives: Not a “natural” process
George A. Burdock, Ph.D.,
Burdock Group
Diplomat, American Board of Toxicology
Fellow, American College of Nutrition
888 17th St. NW - Suite 810
Washington, DC 20006
E-mail: gburdock@burdockgroup.com
Contrary to popular belief, approval of a natural food ingredient may not be as simple a process as one might think. In fact, unless an ingredient had a history of use in food prior to January 1, 1958, or the substance was deemed “safe by scientific procedures”, the ingredient must be determined Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) or be classified as a food additive. Furthermore, approval for one use (such as a flavor) does not constitute approval for any other use. This presentation will detail the history of GRAS in the U.S. Topics included in this discussion will be: the challenges FDA faced prior to 1958; the “scientific procedures” accepted by FDA in a GRAS petition; the importance of an exposure analysis in determining GRAS; who may be considered as an expert. Attendees will leave with a ‘road map’ of the regulatory process of not only natural preservatives, but also of any ingredient proposed for use in foods in the U.S.