Foods labeled ‘generally recognized as safe’ are often never actually tested for safety

Evidence

The government labels many food preservatives GRAS, which means “generally recognized as safe.” It reasons that these chemicals have been used and monitored for long periods without serious concerns arising. But GRAS also means that they have not been specifically tested for human safety, so it is impossible to be sure they are safe, and especially whether they are safe for mental development, which the chemicals are not typically monitored for. — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 1093

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 1093
• XREF: connects to: Commercial baby food commonly contains lead exceeding federal limits — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 675; Tens of thousands of US industrial chemicals remain untested for human harm — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 35