Flavor report: Hidden ingredients

The way a food tastes and smells is important when it comes to choosing what we eat. Food companies engineer foods to ensure they taste and smell appealing by adding flavors and spices. These can be natural substances or chemicals synthesized in a laboratory. They can be a single ingredient—like vanilla extract, dried basil, or a specific chemical—or blends of many ingredients formulated and developed by professional flavorists.

Food industry hides unsafe ingredients behind vague terms like ‘flavor’

Manufacturers hide thousands of food chemicals—some deemed unsafe in other countries—from consumers and the FDA via vague ingredient labels and lax oversight.

How Big Food masquerades as concerned consumers

Here's what to know about how Big Food is working against efforts to improve the food environment by pretending to be everyday consumers.

The 'Better FDA' Act will cement FDA’s failed chemical review system into law

Meet the SHAM GRAS Act: A bill to weaken food chemical safety

Big Food giants form a coalition to reform GRAS rules with the aim to weaken US food safety. Here's what to know.

Is RFK Jr. walking the walk? MAHA Report promises updates while New York acts on GRAS

If the FDA isn’t approving the novel proteins, stabilizers, and artificial flavors in foods, who is? What to know about GRAS and a New York bill that could close the loophole for good.

The New York Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act

The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act (A1556C/S1239C): • Requires food companies to publicly disclose safety evidence for “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) food chemicals. • Prohibits the sale of food containing Red 3, potassium bromate, and propylparaben—chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive toxicity—statewide.

FDA's 'plan' to remove food dyes: Industry 'understanding'

FDA announced a 'plan' to phase out synthetic food dyes, then revealed that it is entirely voluntary and requires 'understanding' from food manufacturers.

Food Safety & Chemical Disclosure Fact Sheet (New York A1556A/S1239A)

Closed-door debut of the MAHA Commission is a shaky start, scholars say