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About FEMA GRAS™ Program
FEMA Expert Panel
First Expert Panel, c. 1959
The Expert Panel of FEMA has served as the primary body for the safety evaluation of food flavorings for the flavor industry, and the public through its "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) assessment of flavoring substances. Flavoring substances are determined to be GRAS by the FEMA Expert Panel pursuant to the authority granted in Section 201(s) of the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which is administered by the FDA.
Based on the conclusions of the Expert Panel, FEMA GRAS™ flavoring substances are accepted as safe food ingredients in many countries around the world. In addition to evaluating new substances for GRAS status, the Expert Panel carries out comprehensive, periodic reviews of all FEMA GRAS™ flavoring substances to reaffirm GRAS status.
FEMA GRAS™ Assessment Program
The FEMA GRAS™ assessment program continually incorporates the latest scientific advances for evaluating the safety of flavoring substances. The Expert Panel has operated continuously since it was first appointed in 1960. The Expert Panel's primary goal is to ensure that flavoring substances added to foods are safe for their intended use -- the conclusions of the Expert Panel on GRAS status apply only to the use of a flavoring substance in food. The Expert Panel is comprised of experts in the fields of chemistry, toxicology, pharmacology, medicine, pathology, and statistics; all are also experts in flavor safety assessment.
A critical part of the FEMA GRAS™ assessment program is the dissemination of the Expert Panel's decisions. Since 1965, lists of flavoring substances that have been determined to be GRAS have been published in a series of publications in the journal Food Technology. A comprehensive list of all the FEMA GRAS™ flavor ingredients is available. A small number of other flavoring substances are also permitted for use in the U.S. under separate authority as provided for in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); these substances, as well as a comprehensive list of all flavor ingredients listed in the CFR are available. Please note that the vast majority of the substances listed in the CFR are FEMA GRAS™ substances.
FEMA GRAS™ Publications
There are a total of 23 publications containing lists of flavor ingredients determined to be GRAS under conditions of intended use by the FEMA Expert Panel. These publications are referred to as "GRAS 3" through "GRAS 25”. The "GRAS 1" and "GRAS 2" publications were notices that did not contain lists of GRAS substances or other relevant information. All FEMA GRAS™ publications are available online.