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FDA Seeks to Close Loophole for Undisclosed Food Chemicals; Israel Rejects Trump's Gaza Plan, Demands Hamas Disarm First; American Detained in Russia is Near Death; Jalen Brunson Opens Up About NBA Championship, New Book and More. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired August 10, 2026 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Today, the FDA is releasing a new plan designed to increase oversight of food ingredient additives. Now, for decades, a loophole allowed food manufacturers to add certain chemicals without notifying regulators. But under the new plan, manufacturers will now have to inform the agency when such ingredients are used.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. is also promising action on ultra-processed foods, but sources tell us the various health agencies involved are still working on a definition for what makes a food ultra-processed.

We're joined now by Jerold Mande, an adjunct professor of nutrition at Harvard University. He's now CEO of Nourish Science.

Jerry, thanks so much for being with us. This 1958 GRAS, or generally recognized as safe exemption, allowed food companies to verify the safety of GRAS ingredients with widely accepted scientific evidence without government oversight.

[14:35:00]

And the FDA is now proposing that food manufacturers notify the agency when they use these ingredients in their products. They're classified as generally recognized as safe, but are they, and who's deciding that?

JEROLD MANDE, CEO, NOURISH SCIENCE: Well, Brianna Borris, thank you for having me. You know, the provision you recite, the generally recognized safe or GRAS provision, is part of a 1958 food additive amendment that required for the first time that new technical ingredients, like these chemical additives, companies need to prove they're safe. And they need to submit a food additive petition.

The burden is on them, and they must prove that their product and the chemical additives are safe. Now, that's the law. That's what has to generally happen.

Now, because the agency didn't have the resources to review those applications, companies took a small provision in the law that generally recognized as safe that was meant for ingredients like salt or vinegar that had been around a long time and started using it for new chemicals. It's an exemption. It's not supposed to be used in this place.

The agency simply asking to be notified doesn't really change the situation. The key thing that has to happen is companies have to prove their products are safe. Today's action doesn't do that.

SANCHEZ: Jerry, I want to play a soundbite from Dr. David Kessler, something he told CBS last night about these foods. He was FDA administrator under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Clinton and is now finding some common ground with Secretary Kennedy on this. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DAVID KESSLER, PEDIATRICIAN AND FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: The United States has been exposed to something that our biology was never intended to handle, energy-dense, highly palatable, rapidly absorbable, ultra-processed foods that have altered our metabolism and have resulted in the greatest increase in chronic disease in our history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: He goes on to list type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, hypertension, abnormal lipids, fatty liver, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, all from food, he says. How do you see the connection? How should Americans be thinking about this?

MANDE: Well, Americans should be very concerned because of what Dr. Kessler is citing. Americans have the shortest lifespans of any of the wealthy countries by a lot. We're not just in last.

Even more urgent is how sick our children are. A third of U.S. children now have a food-caused chronic disease. Indeed, it's become hard to raise a child to age 18 without one.

You know, it's interesting you cite that clip with Dr. Kessler because it's in an episode where he and Secretary Kennedy are agreeing that Dr. Kessler has put forward a petition that would require the agency to enforce that '58 law, as I mentioned, and make companies prove their products are safe. Not just notify that we're being put into our food but actually have to do the science and prove they're safe. That's the right path forward.

Secretary Kennedy knows that. That's why he appeared with Dr. Kessler and said he agreed. But for some reason, instead of announcing today that they're going forward with that petition, they've announced this industry-favored approach where they simply have to be notified and don't have the resources to do anything with it.

KEILAR: Explain the difference. So as you're raising questions about what this FDA plan is actually going to accomplish, tell us a little bit more about the approach they could take so that everyone does feel that these ingredients or what is in their food, they know what it is, they know that it's actually safe, and the government is there affirming this so that people understand it to be so.

MANDE: Yes, I mean, the law says that if you're going to put these new novel chemicals in food, you have to prove they're safe. This is something that emerged, you know, 70 years ago.

In the 1950s, Congress realized that gee, food is no longer made with the things we just grow, but companies are putting additives in it, and they should prove they're safe. Indeed, on top of Congress's mind is they certainly can't cause cancer. That's fully against the law.

And so that program requires companies to do the research, make the investment, and show their ingredients are safe. Dr. Kessler has petitioned the agency to enforce the law. What they're doing today is instead saying, well, you know, there's this provision in the law, generally recognized as safe, meant for ingredients with a long historic use, not new modern ingredients.

But companies and their lawyers are twisting the meaning to say, gee, can't we use this for new chemicals and say they're generally recognized as safe? That's not what the law allows. And today just saying that, you know, you need to notify us when we do it.

You know, the reason companies haven't been notifying is because the agency doesn't have the resources to respond to the notifications.

[14:40:00]

Today, saying you have to, again, notify us and don't provide the resources won't do anything.

KEILAR: Jerold Mande, thank you so much for being with us and giving us your insight about this move by the FDA. We appreciate it.

MANDE: Thank you, Brianna, Boris, glad to join you.

KEILAR: Still to come, an American held in Russia is reportedly near death. Ahead, the urgent push to bring Robert Gilman home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: In a rare public break with President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is rejecting a U.S.-backed peace plan for Gaza. Over the weekend, Netanyahu saying, quote, "As long as I am Prime Minister, no Palestinian state will be established, not in Gaza, and not in the West Bank." CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live for us from Jerusalem.

And Jeremy, less than two weeks ago, Netanyahu was in Washington. Now we're seeing this rejection. Tell us what you're learning.

[14:45:00]

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it's also quite remarkable when you think about the fact that President Trump, about 10 days ago, was calling this new agreement between the Board of Peace and Hamas a historic agreement, a monumental step towards peace and security for the region.

And then you have the Israeli Prime Minister coming in and rejecting this 15-point plan out of hand entirely. The Israeli Prime Minister dismissing what he called fictitious disarmament, saying Israel is only interested in Hamas's genuine disarmament. He also vowed that Israeli troops would not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until the disarmament of Hamas is complete, rather than any kind of gradual or phased process that has been envisioned inside the Gaza Strip.

Now, the Israeli Prime Minister certainly has come under a lot of political pressure. This is now election season in Israel, with a parliamentary election slated for late October. And the Prime Minister had come under a lot of pressure from his right-wing allies in government to reject this plan entirely.

And indeed, that is what he came out and did in very public fashion. But there is a question still about what exactly is happening beyond those public statements. A Board of Peace official who we spoke with said that they are focused on actions, not rhetoric, suggesting that despite the fact that the Prime Minister has publicly rejected this deal, that behind the scenes, this official said, that they are seeing cooperation from the Israeli side. Pointing to the fact that we've seen a lot fewer Israeli strikes in Gaza over the course of the last week.

New policies that make approvals of any strikes in Gaza need to happen at the very highest levels of the Israeli military, and that ultimately, it seems, Israel will allow the International Stabilization Force to enter the Gaza Strip. But again, we have not yet seen many of those steps, and we certainly have not heard them from the Israeli government.

Hamas, for its part, is calling on the mediators and the United States to compel Israel to adhere to this agreement that was just reached about 10 days ago. So a lot certainly hanging in the balance, and people in Gaza are just so, so tired after so much back and forth, so much sense of hope on the horizon. Once again, to hear the Israeli Prime Minister rejecting this leaves them with a very uncertain future -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Jeremy Diamond, live for us from Jerusalem. Thank you -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: We turn now to an American detainee in Russia who one advocate says is near death. 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran Robert Gilman has been held in Russia since 2022, serving time for allegedly assaulting a Russian police officer. There is new concern, though, that he's being fed through a tube after he was allegedly subjected to physical and psychological torture.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler has the new reporting and joins us now from the State Department with details. Jennifer, what more can you share?

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Boris, according to Eric Lebson, who works with Global Reach, the organization advocating on behalf of the family, Gilman has been put through the wringer in detention in Russia. Lebson told me that he has been given mind- altering drugs, has been told horrible lies about his family being beaten up, and he has been told that the U.S. government has forgotten him. Now, about six weeks ago, Gilman slipped into, quote, a dissociative stupor, and he was moved from his prison some six hours outside of Moscow to a local civilian psychiatric ward.

Now, in the time since, neither his Russian lawyer nor his mother has been permitted to see hi. And this is significant because, according to Lebson, his mom flew from the United States to Russia with a Russian court order that would permit her to see her son, and she was blocked from doing so. Now, Lebson said this is raising serious concerns that Gilman may already be dead, or his condition might be so severe that that is the likely outcome of this.

They're very concerned that this could be a situation like that of Otto Warmbier, the college student who was detained in North Korea for a year and a half before being released into U.S. custody with severe brain damage and dying shortly thereafter. Gilman's sister, Lexie Hudson, said in a statement, quote, "We want our government to make it clear to the Russians that they need to release Robert now before it is too late. Whatever deal is required to make that happen is better for the U.S. and Russia than having to navigate the death of my brother because both didn't seize on the urgency of acting when there was time."

Now, a State Department spokesperson told me that they are also, quote, deeply concerned about Gilman's continued detention and his health. They said they have repeatedly brought up this case with the Russian government and that they have asked for humanitarian release because of concerns of his health.

[14:50:00]

The family was also told that Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised this with the Russian foreign minister in recent weeks -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Jennifer Hansler from the State Department, thank you so much for that update -- Brianna?

KEILAR: Now to some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour.

Right now, crews are gaining ground on those three major wildfires near Spokane, Washington. Evacuation warnings are being downgraded because of the progress they're making. Since last week, the fires have burned more than 10,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes and structures.

In the meantime, in British Columbia, 105 wildfires have been reported. That's right, 105 still raging across the region Sunday. The flames forcing 20,000 people to evacuate.

Also, health officials are warning Gulf Coast beachgoers to take precautions against a rare flesh-eating bacteria that is found in coastal waters. Louisiana has reported nine cases this year, all nine people hospitalized, five of them died. During the same period over the previous decade, the state reported an average of seven cases and one death. The bacteria can enter through breaks in the skin or through eating raw or undercooked shellfish.

Authorities say to seek medical care immediately if a wound is exposed to brackish or saltwater and it becomes red, swollen, painful, warm, or discolored.

And check out these skills. This is pitcher Anna Lynn Clark, and this weekend she threw more than 200 pitches in back-to-back shutout victories. That performance leading her team from Clayton, North Carolina, to the Little League Softball World Series title. Congratulations to her and the team.

Still to come, we'll hear from the New York sports icon, Jalen Brunson, about LeBron's move down the road to Philly.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: This summer has been a whirlwind for Knicks star Jalen Brunson. From bagging an NBA championship to undergoing surgery shortly after, the Finals MVP is now opening up about his latest moves off the court. He sat down with CNN's Omar Jimenez, who's joining us now.

Omar, quite the journey for both of them. What did you learn after speaking with them?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, one, that even if you go out of an NBA season on top, you can still have a little bit of a hectic summer, as he described to me. The important thing for him is that he's finally able to have some downtime with family, which I think, as we can all imagine, was hard to come by when you're in the middle of an NBA Finals and championship pursuit. Still, though, if you're a fan of the NBA, there's a big change in the NBA this offseason, especially in the Eastern Conference, so I asked him about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: LeBron going to Philly? What'd you think about that?

JALEN BRUNSON, KNICKS GUARD, NBA FINALS MVP: Honestly, I've been enjoying this as much as I could, and so there's been a lot on my plate since obviously we won, but when it comes time to get back to my team, we'll focus on that, but just the experience with my teammates and my family and everything, that's all I've been really focused on right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ (on camera): That is a professional answer right there. Just weaving between the lines, keeping the focus on the team, but if you notice, we met up essentially at a golf course. This was at his annual golf charity event for his foundation, the Second Round Foundation, which essentially takes the story of his basketball career, at least the NBA one, where he was drafted in the second round, largely overlooked in terms of the expectations for someone like him. And what they're trying to do is essentially provide opportunities for kids that can help them level their playing field, so they too don't end up overlooked in similar ways that someone like Jalen Brunson did.

We sat alongside him with his mom, who also co-founded the foundation, and just take a listen to some of our conversation there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: Jalen, what does that term mean to you, overlooked?

BRUNSON: It means a lot because you can go down so many different roads with that term. Obviously for me, I feel like I was overlooked in sport, but there are a lot of kids and people who are overlooked just in life, and so to be able to use my platform to have a sense of pride when feeling overlooked, you know, when you have the mentality of being able to persevere through a lot of things and persevere through others' opinions and come out on top no matter what people think about you, I think it's a true blessing.

JIMENEZ: What is it that you're trying to build with this foundation?

SANDRA BRUNSON, JALEN'S MOM: Well, we're trying to build a level of consistency with youth that feel overlooked. Consistency meaning having the advantages of any child deserving of goals and dreams at a young age, trying to provide equity and access to them and their families. Overlooked is a term that I think many people can associate with, but when it comes to children, it's as if everyone needs to start on the same playing field, and we're just happy to be able to help and to provide whatever resources we can to young people throughout the New York City area, Illinois, Chicagoland, and Dallas.

We're just trying to just help whatever cities have welcomed Jalen and impacted him in his life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ (on camera): Now, as you might have noticed, Jalen was wearing that brace there with a bit of recovery going on, so he didn't participate in the golf charity event as a player, but I also asked ...

END