Investigation Finds Hundreds of Untested Chemicals Added to US Food Supply

Report alleges food companies are exploiting 'GRAS' loophole to bypass FDA oversight

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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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 US Food and Drug Administration. The report alleges that food companies are self-determining that these new ingredients are 'generally recognized as safe' (GRAS) in order to bypass federal guidelines meant to ensure food safety.

Why it matters

This investigation raises serious concerns about the lack of oversight and transparency in the US food supply. The GRAS loophole allows food companies to unilaterally decide that new ingredients are safe, even if those ingredients have never been reviewed by the FDA. This puts consumers at risk of potential health issues from consuming untested chemicals.

The details

The EWG investigation found 49 of these chemicals added by industry in approximately 4,000 products listed in the USDA's FoodData Central database. Many of the chemicals are extracts from 'natural' foods like aloe vera, green tea, mushrooms, and others. While these substances may seem harmless, experts warn that the concentrated extracts can have very different health impacts than the whole foods they are derived from. The report highlights cases where these unreviewed ingredients have already caused health issues, such as the tara flour incident that led to gallbladder problems.

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

The players

Environmental Working Group

A health and environmental health advocacy organization that conducted the investigation.

Melanie Benesh

Vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group.

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

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

Pieter Cohen

An associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston who coauthored a paper on the dangers of the GRAS system.

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What they’re saying

“Manufacturers now routinely exploit this GRAS loophole — it's fast becoming more 'generally recognized as secret' instead of 'generally recognized as safe.'”

— 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, National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris

“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

What’s next

The Trump administration has indicated it wants to fix the GRAS loophole that allows companies to self-determine product safety without FDA oversight. However, experts warn that meaningful reform to strengthen food safety regulations will likely be a slow process.

The takeaway

This investigation exposes a major gap in the US food regulatory system, where hundreds of unreviewed chemicals are being added to consumer products without adequate safety testing or public transparency. Closing the GRAS loophole and restoring independent oversight of food additives is crucial to protecting public health.