Need for a Comprehensive Reevaluation by FDA of Talc in The American Food and Drug Supply

 

Arman Sharma
George F. Tidmarsh

DOI: https://doi.org/10.70542/rcj-japh-art-16avrw

Introduction

Over the past year, the chronic disease epidemic has become a central focus in national health discussions. Today, over 60% of Americans are living with some form of chronic disease, and nearly 40% are affected by multiple conditions, including cancer and chronic inflammatory conditions. This staggering reality underscores the urgent need to address the underlying causes of this generational crisis in American public health.

One crucial step in understanding the causes of the chronic disease epidemic is to comprehensively reevaluate the safety of the foods and drugs consumed by Americans, particularly regarding additives. Many substances that have been used for decades have not undergone proper scrutiny to assess their long-term health impacts. For example, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) list includes substances that have not been reviewed for their safety in over 50 years, despite the emergence of new data and information. Under the GRAS designation, substances can be exempted from premarket review if deemed safe by qualified experts for their intended use. With hundreds of substances on this list and no significant scientific review conducted in decades, the current status of allowed food additives relies on outdated data. Furthermore, this list does not take into account the substantial changes in the American population over recent decades. Therefore, a complete overhaul of the review and categorization process for substances currently used as additives in our foods and drugs is essential.

In March 2025, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. made it clear that he seeks to eliminate this loophole, aiming to improve transparency and enhance food safety nationwide. It remains unclear which substances will be prioritized and how they will be reevaluated. We have begun a systematic review of the safety of substances commonly used in our foods and drugs. This perspective outlines our findings on one such substance: talc.

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https://publichealth.realclearjournals.org/perspectives/2025/04/reviewing-the-safety-of-our-foods-and-drugs-an-urgent-need-for-a-comprehensive-reevaluation-by-fda-of-talc-in-the-american-food-and-drug-supply/