Agency has concluded the standards are obsolete and no longer needed
By Stephanie Brown HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a plan to revoke 52 food standards after concluding they are “obsolete and unnecessary.”
The 52 food standards pertain to canned fruits and vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, macaroni products, and other foods.
The FDA has reviewed its portfolio of more than 250 food Standards of Identity to “make sure they are useful, relevant, and serve consumers in the best possible way.”
The agency established food standards in 1939 to ensure honesty, fair dealing, and consistency in food products. However, modern advancements in food science, agriculture, and consumer protections have made many of these outdated, rigid standards no longer necessary.
This week, the FDA published a direct final rule to revoke outdated standards for 11 types of canned fruits and vegetables, including seven involving saccharin-sweetened products, that are no longer sold in the United States. The agency also published two proposed rules. These rules would revoke standards for 18 dairy products and 23 other food items. The dairy list includes milk, cream, cheeses, and frozen desserts, while the other list covers bakery goods, pasta, fruit juices, seafood, dressings, and flavorings.
“The FDA’s Standards of Identity efforts have helped ensure uniformity, boost consumer confidence, and prevent food fraud. But many of these standards have outlived their usefulness and may even stifle innovation in making food easier to produce or providing consumers healthier choices,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., said in a statement. “Antiquated food standards are no longer serving to protect consumers. It is common sense to revoke them and move to a more judicious use of food standards and agency resources.”
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