For example, the January 2001 FDA “Letter to Manufacturers Regarding Botanicals and Other Novel Ingredients in Conventional Foods” discussed the use of non-GRAS ingredients in foods. The letter cooled the growing food use of components with non-GRAS status.
However, the botanical category is broad and contains an eclectic array of products. Some botanicals are clearly pharmaceutical alternatives, some have an ambiguous regulatory status, and some are foods themselves.