The wide range of consumer food and beverage products and their ingredients has been rapidly expanding, including the growth of very specific categories, such as organic energy drinks, sports nutrition bars, and flavored drink additives. As companies scour the globe for new ingredients, ranging from herbs and botanicals to prebiotics and probiotics, it is critical that these companies be mindful of how such ingredients are likely to be regulated.  The regulation of ingredients for conventional foods and beverages versus dietary supplements differ in some important ways that could very well dictate the viability of using certain ingredients and the ultimate classification of the intended product as a conventional food or as a dietary supplement. All ingredients intentionally added to conventional foods or beverages are considered food additives by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Food additives must either be approved through regulation by the FDA as food additives, deemed “generally recognized as safe” or “GRAS”, or otherwise be exempted (such as with color additives). The approved food additives are identified in regulations set forth by the FDA in the Code of Federal Regulations.  If an ingredient is not an approved food additive, an ingredient must be GRAS to be legally used in a conventional food or beverage.

To read more about the FDA’s regulation of conventional food and beverage ingredients and dietary supplements, and to read the full Article on this matter, [CLICK HERE].