The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just taken a bold step to modernize how food is regulated in America. In a move signaling a major policy shift, the agency announced plans to revoke 52 Standards of Identity (SOIs) that govern the composition and labeling of various foods, including canned vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, and pasta. The rationale? These rules are, in the FDA’s words, “obsolete and unnecessary.”This change isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about updating decades-old regulations to keep pace with scientific progress, consumer habits, and industry innovation. And it might just reshape how food is produced, labeled, and understood in the U.S. and beyond.What Are Standards of Identity?To understand the significance of this shift, you need to go back to 1939. That’s when the FDA began issuing Standards of Identity to define what a food product must contain to be marketed under a certain name. Think: what ingredients make up “milk,” “cheddar cheese,” or “macaroni.” These standards ensured consistency, consumer confidence, and protected against food fraud.In essence, they acted as regulatory recipes—detailing mandatory ingredients and sometimes even processing methods. But as food science and technology have evolved, many of these rules have become barriers rather than safeguards.According to the FDA, many of the standards slated for removal were written decades ago and now regulate products that are no longer sold or have been replaced by newer alternatives. Among those being eliminated are standards related to:11 types of canned fruits and vegetables, including 7 that involve artificial sweeteners like saccharin18 dairy products, including milk, cream, cheeses, and frozen desserts23 additional items such as bakery goods, macaroni and noodle products, canned juices, fish and shellfish, and food dressings“The FDA’s Standards of Identity efforts have helped ensure uniformity, boost consumer confidence, and prevent food fraud,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. “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.”The decision aligns with a broader government effort to redirect regulatory resources to where they’re most impactful—focusing on current health concerns, transparency, and modern food safety.What’s Driving This Change Now?At the heart of the FDA’s decision is the need to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and allow for greater flexibility in food production. As production methods and nutritional science have improved, some of the rigid requirements baked into old SOIs now do more harm than good.Take, for example, a standard that mandates a specific kind of sweetener or milkfat content for a product. In a market where consumers are demanding lower sugar and fat options, those rules can make it illegal to innovate—unless you rename the product entirely.Many of the standards being revoked predate the modern nutrition labeling laws that now require manufacturers to disclose full ingredient lists, allergens, and nutrition facts. With these protections in place, the FDA believes specific identity standards for outdated products are no longer needed.What's the Process for Revoking These Standards?This week, the FDA published three key documents in the Federal Register:A direct final rule to revoke 11 standards for canned fruits and vegetables no longer commercially available in the U.S., including several using saccharin.A proposed rule to eliminate 18 outdated dairy standards.Another proposed rule to remove 23 standards covering bakery products, noodles, juices, seafood, and flavorings.The “direct final rule” process allows the FDA to expedite changes when minimal opposition is expected. However, the agency also filed a companion proposed rule for the canned goods in case significant adverse comments are received. The two proposed rules for dairy and other foods are open to public comment before final action.Among the most outdated standards on the chopping block are those involving fruits sweetened with saccharin—an artificial sweetener once popular in the mid-20th century but now largely phased out of the American market due to health concerns and consumer preference.Similarly, certain types of processed cheese and frozen dairy desserts governed by outdated formulations are now seen as irrelevant, especially given that new dairy alternatives and plant-based options are increasingly prevalent.In today’s food landscape, strict definitions of what constitutes a “cheese spread” or “vanilla ice cream” can block manufacturers from offering lower-fat, dairy-free, or nutritionally enhanced alternatives under familiar labels.Implications Of This Order On Consumers and IndustryFrom a consumer standpoint, this isn’t about stripping away protections. It’s about modernizing the way food is regulated. Ingredient disclosures, nutrition facts, and allergen warnings are now mandatory for all packaged foods, offering layers of protection that didn’t exist when many SOIs were written.For manufacturers, this opens the door to innovation. Brands will have more room to respond to consumer trends—whether that’s sugar reduction, plant-based products, or functional foods—without running afoul of archaic labeling laws.It could also streamline the food development process. Rather than creating “new” product names to sidestep outdated SOIs, companies can build on familiar labels while adapting formulations to suit modern health demands.While the revocation of obsolete standards is largely being welcomed as common-sense reform, some consumer advocates have cautioned against eliminating too many regulations too quickly. The key, they say, is maintaining a balance between flexibility and accountability.For instance, some worry that without clear standards, products could drift too far from what consumers expect. Would "ice cream" still be ice cream if it contained no cream? The FDA’s challenge will be to ensure that product names continue to reflect reasonable consumer understanding.As food trends continue to evolve and health-conscious consumers demand cleaner labels and more options, the FDA’s decision to phase out outdated standards is a pivotal moment.It reflects a larger shift from prescriptive, static definitions toward a more dynamic and transparent regulatory approach. Rather than telling companies exactly how to make a product, the agency now leans more on outcome-based rules—requiring safety, disclosure, and honest labeling.In the words of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “Today marks a crucial step in my drive to cut through bureaucratic red tape, increase transparency, and remove regulations that have outlived their purpose.”Is Rolling Back FDA Rules the Right Call Amid Ongoing Food Recalls?With food recalls making headlines almost weekly—from salmonella in greens to mislabeled allergens—the FDA’s move to revoke 52 labeling and nutrition regulations raises eyebrows. While the agency says these rules are outdated and unused, the timing feels off. Consumers are demanding more transparency, not less. Simplifying regulations might help industry compliance, but could also reduce safeguards meant to protect public health. The real question is: are we sacrificing consumer safety for industry convenience? In a climate where trust in food labeling is already shaky, rolling back rules—without clear replacements—may create more problems than it solves.