No comprehensive United States list of microorganisms that are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use in food exists today. This gap has led to repeated, resource-intensive GRAS notifications for strains belonging to species with long, well-documented histories of safe use.
To address this gap, the authors cross-referenced five authoritative global safety lists, from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the International Dairy Federation, the International Journal of Food Microbiology, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, and Health Canada, and identified 43 microbial species recognized as safe for general food use across all five. Each species was assessed using whole-genome sequencing, taxonomic identification, and established safety decision frameworks, and all five authorities scientifically concluded that the entire species warranted a positive listing. Beyond that species-level determination, strain-specific traits still require individual verification by manufacturers.
This research arrives as the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) comment period on the proposed GRAS rule is open, offering regulators, industry, and consumer advocates a science-based resource for that conversation.