America Doesn't Know What's In Its Food

RFK Jr. and former FDA chief David Kessler rarely agree, but they share the view that America’s food safety system is outdated and may be contributing to poor health. About half of the food Americans eat, and roughly 60% of what children eat, is ultraprocessed, while about 70% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. A major concern is a loophole dating back to 1958 that allows food companies to determine whether certain ingredients are safe without independent FDA testing. Thousands of ingredients may have entered the food supply this way, without a complete public record. Critics also argue that ultraprocessed foods are designed to be highly appealing and easy to overeat, making it harder for people to recognize when they are full. A proposed solution would require manufacturers to provide stronger evidence that ingredients such as corn syrup are safe rather than allowing them to automatically receive “safe” status. The proposal would not ban these ingredients; instead, it would shift the responsibility for proving safety from consumers to manufacturers. Ultimately, the issue is less about politics and more about closing a decades-old gap in food regulation and making ingredient safety information more transparent to the public.