Construction and Development of the Safety Regulatory System for Food Flavor Ingredients in the United States and Its Implications for China

The safety supervision of food flavorings is of great significance for public health. The regulatory system in the United States, with its mature evaluation mechanism and transparent policies, has a significant global influence. The U.S. regulatory system originated from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, and was further refined by the Food Additives Amendment of 1958, which introduced the definition of “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) substances. The Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) assesses flavor ingredients based on rigorous scientific criteria and publishes the results through the GRAS list. This system is not only widely applied in the United States but also has had a profound impact on the regulatory systems of international organizations and other countries. In contrast, the regulatory system of China for food flavorings has also been continuously improved to form a multi-department collaborative supervision model led by the State Administration for Market Regulation based on national standards and regulations, emphasizing the leading role of the government. Through comparative analysis, the differences in the regulatory systems of food flavorings between China and the United States are revealed, and suggestions for optimizing China’s regulatory system are put forward, with the aim of promoting the safe and orderly development of the food industry.