Investigation Finds 'Secretly' Added Chemicals of Unknown Safety in US Food Supply

At least 111 substances of unknown safety have been added to foods, drinks and supplements without FDA review

Mar. 3, 2026 at 7:34pm

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A new investigation by the Environmental Working Group has found that at least 111 substances of unknown safety have been added to foods, drinks, and supplements sold in the United States without alerting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The report says food companies are exploiting a 'GRAS loophole' that allows them to self-determine that new ingredients are 'generally recognized as safe' without independent review.

Why it matters

The lack of FDA oversight on these 'secretly' added chemicals means consumers have no way of knowing if they are safe or carry unknown health risks. Experts say decisions about the safety of food chemicals should be based on independent assessment by public health authorities, not left to the food industry's own determinations.

The details

The investigation found 49 of the 111 chemicals in approximately 4,000 products listed in the USDA's FoodData Central database. Many of the chemicals were extracts from 'natural' foods like green tea, aloe vera, and mushrooms, which can have very different health effects than the whole foods. For example, concentrated green tea extracts have been linked to liver damage, while whole green tea has health benefits. The report highlights how the 'GRAS loophole' allows companies to bypass FDA review and add new substances to the food supply without adequate safety testing.

  • In 2024, the FDA told manufacturers to stop using the red-topped Amanita muscaria mushroom due to 'serious adverse event reports'.
  • In the summer of 2022, a frozen vegetable-based meat substitute was voluntarily recalled after the manufacturer received 470 complaints of gastrointestinal, liver, bile duct and gallbladder illness.

The players

Melanie Benesh

Vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, the health and environmental advocacy organization that conducted the investigation.

Mathilde Touvier

Director of research at France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris, who studies the health harms of additives in ultraprocessed foods.

Maricel Maffini

Biochemist and former research assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, who coauthored the EWG investigation.

Pieter Cohen

Associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, who coauthored a paper on the dangers of the GRAS system published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Andrew Nixon

Deputy assistant secretary for media relations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA.

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What they’re saying

“Food companies are deciding on their own to secretly add unreviewed chemical ingredients to products instead of following existing federal guidelines meant to assure food is 'generally recognized as safe,' or GRAS.”

— Melanie Benesh, Vice president for government affairs, Environmental Working Group

“It is highly problematic that companies are allowed to self-determine that their own ingredients are 'GRAS,' given the obvious financial conflict of interest. Decisions about the safety of food chemicals should be based on independent assessment by public health authorities.”

— Mathilde Touvier, Director of research, France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research

“When it comes down to where the rubber meets the road, the administration is basically asking the industry politely to adhere to the intent of the law, which is no different than the situation we have now. I've seen nothing game-changing in terms of improving the safety of our food supply.”

— Pieter Cohen, Associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School

The takeaway

This investigation highlights the need for greater transparency and independent oversight of food additives in the US. The 'GRAS loophole' allows companies to bypass FDA review and add untested chemicals to the food supply, putting consumers at risk. Sweeping reform is needed to ensure the safety of the US food system and restore public trust.