FEMA GRAS - A GRAS ASSESSMENT PROGRAM FOR FLAVOR INGREDIENTS

The generally recognized as safe (GRAS) assessment program of the Flav or and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) of the United States w as initiated in 1959 to provide for the assessment of flavor ingredien ts as GRAS under the Food Additives Amendment to the U.S. Federal Food , Drug, and Cosmetic Act. FEMA sponsored the formation of an independe nt panel of experts to perform GRAS assessments and to provide their c onclusions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the food and flav or industries, and the public. The program was designed to account for the legal, regulatory, and scientific issues associated with GRAS ass essments and has continued to incorporate changes in the law and in sc ience. This review describes the legal and scientific foundation of th e FEMA program. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.