GRASmerkintä

GRASmerkintä is a term used in the Finnish food sector to indicate that an ingredient or substance has GRAS status—Generally Recognized as Safe—for use in foods. The marking is typically found in supplier documentation, product dossiers, or internal quality systems rather than on consumer packaging. It signals that the substance has been deemed safe by qualified experts for its intended use, based on a history of consumption, scientific data, and risk assessment. In the United States, a substance classified as GRAS may be used in foods without prior approval from the FDA, provided the determination is based on sound evidence and published information.

Regulatory context varies by region. In the European Union there is no formal GRAS scheme equivalent to the U.S. practice. Safety evaluations for food additives and processing aids in the EU are carried out by EFSA, and authorization follows its own EU procedures. As a result, a GRASmerkintä in Finland often reflects U.S.-style practice or a company-made assessment rather than an EU-sanctioned status. Some companies rely on self-affirmed GRAS determinations or third-party opinions, but these are not uniformly recognized across markets.

Use and interpretation of a GRASmerkintä depend on robust documentation, including the basis for the determination, references to scientific data, exposure assumptions, and the date of assessment. It is primarily an internal or supplier-facing label rather than a consumer label. The credibility of the marking relies on transparency, regular review, and clear linkage to the supporting safety dossier.

See also: Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS); FDA; EFSA; food additives; self-affirmed GRAS.