There is no confusion regarding the safety of carrageenan. Carrageenan is a safe and natural fiber extracted from seaweed [1]. It is an indigestible polysaccharide that is commonly used in foods as a natural thickening, gelling, and stabilizing agent. It is used as a gelling agent in our vegetarian softgels and On Guard Toothpaste. Carrageenan-containing softgel capsules are the only stable veg...

Species from the genus Enterococcus have been used as probiotic for humans or animals, although this genus is not considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). While enterococci are considered “positive" in food technology, isolates of this genus have emerged as opportunistic pathogens for the humans. The aim of this review is to summarize the characteristics that can determine the use of t...

A dizzying array of chemical compounds is used in modern food. Artificially manufactured dyes, preservatives, flavors, texture enhancers, and fats enhance the way food looks, tastes, and feels. Considerable debate has raged over the long-term safety of chemical food additives, which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. The FDA allows the addition of non-...

This article discusses options and examples of regulations or "generally recognized as safe" determinations that are related to microorganisms in food. A balanced picture of information about the microorganism and its characteristics is needed to make conclusions about its safety.

Class IIa bacteriocins are heat-stable, unmodified peptides with a conserved amino acids sequence YGNGV on their N-terminal domains, and have received much attention due to their generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status, their high biological activity, and their excellent heat stability. They are promising and attractive agents that could function as biopreservatives in the food industry. Thi...

A discussion of the risk assessment process as applied to the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) determination of safety for new ingredients can benefit from an international perspective. When we think about how risk assessments are performed around the world it is critical to assess what can be learned. What are the similarities? What are the differences? What are the takeaways? It is importa...

The fungus Colletotrichum sp. is the causal agent of anthracnose in mango fruit and leads to substantial postharvest losses (>30 %). Efficient control agents continue be investigated reduce incidence this pathogen, preferably a biological-organic nature. objective work was evaluate vitro application commercial-grade generally recognized as safe (GRAS) compounds chitosan, hydrogen peroxide, a...

Microbial safety of food products is often accomplished by the formulation of food-grade preservatives into the product. Because of the growing consumer demand for natural substances (including preservatives) in the composition of consumed foods, there is also a growing interest in the natural antimicrobial nisin, which has generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for certain applications. Du...

The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) 1992 policy statement was developed in the context of critical gaps in scientific knowledge concerning the compositional effects of genetic transformation and severe limitations in methods for safety testing. FDA acknowledged that pleiotropy and insertional mutagenesis may cause unintended changes, but it was unknown whether this happens to a greate...

Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) secrete a polysaccharide polymer. This extracellular polysaccharide, or "exopolysaccharide" (EPS), is economically important because it can impart functional effects to foods and confer beneficial health effects. LAB have a "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) classification and are likely candidates for the production of functional EPSs. Current challenges are ...