Ensuring Safe and Toxic-Free Foods Act of 2025

The Ensuring Safe and Toxic-Free Foods Act of 2025 would overhaul how the U.S. regulates substances that are used in or around food and are claimed to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS). It creates a formal GRAS framework (Section 409A) with stricter criteria, public disclosure, and FDA oversight of GRAS determinations, including a requirement to avoid conflicts of interest among experts. It also requires ongoing safety reassessments of food-related chemicals (Section 409B), mandating periodic reviews and data submissions, with priority given to substances already the subject of other petitions. Additionally, the bill tightens the definition of adulteration to include substances not in compliance with the new GRAS framework and adds GRAS determinations to the list of factors the FDA may consider in determining safety. The act would take effect two years after enactment and would impose systematic, recurring reassessment of at least some food substances every three years, potentially reshaping how quickly new food substances are approved and how existing ones are re-evaluated. In short, the bill aims to make GRAS determinations more transparent, data-driven, and subject to ongoing review, with heightened FDA involvement and public participation, while elevating safety standards for substances used in food production and packaging.