The relevance of international assessments to GRAS determinations

A discussion of the risk assessment process as applied to the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) determination of safety for new ingredients can benefit from an international perspective. When we think about how risk assessments are performed around the world it is critical to assess what can be learned. What are the similarities? What are the differences? What are the takeaways? It is important to talk about the similarities in processes, because it validates the approach taken by risk assessors who are charged with protecting the food supply. It is also instructive to evaluate the differences in order to determine where improvements can be made to our process.