Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Notification Program

"GRAS" is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is
subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified
experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the
substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.

Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Act, and FDA's implementing regulations in 21 CFR 570.3 and 21 CFR 570.30,
the use of a food additive may be GRAS either through scientific procedures or, for a substance used in food before
1958, through experience based on common use in food.

Under 21 CFR 570.30(b), general recognition of safety based upon scientific procedures requires the same
quantity and quality of scientific evidence as is required to obtain approval of a food additive. General
recognition of safety through scientific procedures must address safety for both the target animal and for
humans consuming human food derived from food-producing animals and is based upon the application of
generally available and accepted scientific data, information, or methods, which ordinarily are published, as
well as the application of scientific principles, and may be corroborated by the application of unpublished
scientific data, information, or methods.
Under 21 CFR 570.30(c) and 570.3(f), general recognition of safety through experience based on common use
in food requires a substantial history of consumption of a substance by a significant number of animals of the
species to which the substance is intended to be fed (and, for food-producing animals fed with such substance,
also means a substantial history of consumption by humans consuming human foods derived from those food-
producing animals).

Information About the GRAS Final Rule

How to Submit a GRAS Notice to CVM (/animal-veterinary/generally-recognized-safe-gras-notification-
program/how-submit-gras-notice-cvm)
Federal Register Notice of GRAS Final Rule; Substances Generally Recognized as Safe
(https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/08/17/2016-19164/substances-generally-recognized-as-safe)
(Implemented on October 17, 2016) - 81 FR 54959 - August 17, 2016

Inventory for Animal Food

Current Animal Food GRAS Notices Inventory (/animal-veterinary/generally-recognized-safe-gras-
notification-program/current-animal-food-gras-notices-inventory)

Guidance
Guidance for Industry: Frequently Asked Questions About GRAS for Substances Intended for Use in Human
or Animal Food (/food/guidance-documents-regulatory-information-topic/guidance-industry-frequently-
asked-questions-about-gras-substances-intended-use-human-or-animal-food)

Draft Guidance for Industry: Best Practices for Convening a GRAS Panel (/food/guidance-documents-
regulatory-information-topic/draft-guidance-industry-best-practices-convening-gras-panel)
 Guidance for Industry: Regulatory Framework for Substances Intended for Use in Human Food or Animal
Food on the Basis of the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (/food/guidance-documents-regulatory-information-topic/guidance-industry-regulatory-
framework-substances-intended-use-human-food-or-animal-food-basis)

Regulations
21 CFR Part 570.3 (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?
SID=42bb02884fc7049a74766606865e2a61&mc=true&node=se21.6.570_13&rgn=div8) - Definitions

21 CFR Part 570.30 (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?

gp=&SID=42bb02884fc7049a74766606865e2a61&mc=true&n=pt21.6.570&r=PART&ty=HTML#se21.6.570_130)
- Eligibility for classification as generally recognized as safe (GRAS)
21 CFR Part 582 (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?
SID=42bb02884fc7049a74766606865e2a61&mc=true&node=pt21.6.582&rgn=div5) - Substances generally
recognized as safe

21 CFR Part 584 (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?

SID=42bb02884fc7049a74766606865e2a61&mc=true&node=pt21.6.584&rgn=div5) - Food substances
affirmed as GRAS in feed and drinking water of animals