Type of Posting: General Announcement
Posting Date: 12-Sep-2025
Input Deadline: 11-Dec-2025
FCC is publishing its first Stimuli Article, “Elemental Impurities in Food”. Stimuli articles are a tool that has long been used in the Pharmacopeial Forum (PF) as a means to share the perspective of USP Expert Committees and solicit feedback from stakeholders.
Similar to how Stimuli articles are published in PF, we anticipate moving this article into the FCC Forum at a later date.
Stimuli articles are not considered standards under development. Comments are reviewed by USP experts, but they are not published in Commentary. USP welcomes comments from the public for 90 days after the publication period, similar to the process for standards published in the FCC Forum.
This Stimuli article, developed by the USP Food Ingredients Expert Committee, reviews the occurrence and sources of elemental impurities in food, assesses the associated health risks, and provides guidance on strategies for their reduction in food products. Ultimately, this article serves as a call to action for stakeholders to collaborate in further minimizing the presence and concentration of elemental impurities in infant formula and all foods. USP welcomes comments from the public about how USP and FCC can best support industry and regulators in reducing the level of elemental impurities of concern (in particular lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium) in food ingredients.
Should you have any questions about Stimuli articles and FCC, please contact Claire Chisolm, Manager – Foods Science and Standards at claire.chisolm@usp.org.