The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has launched an initiative to "advance the procedures used to assess the safety of ingredients used in food products," which focuses on generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredients. The initiative has five parts:
- The development of a Publicly Available Standard (PAS) for GRAS determinations;
- A database of GRAS assessments conducted by the food industry;
- An expanded curriculum of GMA education and training programs;
- A Code of Practice for GMA members; and
- A communications outreach program aimed at stakeholders and consumers about the initiative.
The PAS for GRAS determinations will be developed over the next year and a half by an independent body of technical experts and will be suitable for accreditation by a third party. The goal of the GMA-sponsored database is to list information on all GRAS assessments conducted by the food industry. The program will be primarily focused on ingredients directly added to food.
GMA's expansion of educations programs includes the establishment of the Center for Research and Ingredient Safety (CRIS) at Michigan State University, which began in the Spring of 2014. More information on the initiative can be found on GMA's website.