Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Category: FDA

  • FDA Releases Foodborne Illness Report

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the release of the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration’s annual report, which provides data on source attribution estimates for 2020 for Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes. The findings include that (i) “Salmonella illnesses came from a wide variety of foods”; (ii) “E. coli O157 illnesses were most often linked to…

  • FDA Releases Proposed “Healthy” Definition Update

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a proposed update to guidance on how the term “healthy” can be used in marketing and labeling food products. The announcement notes that current limitations on usage of the term are out of step with the dietary guidelines—for example, salmon is excluded from permitted use due…

  • FDA Releases Activities Document Detailing Its Approach to Produce Imports

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released an activities document outlining how the agency is working to enhance the safety of fresh produce imported into the United States. The Activities to Enhance the Safety of Imported Produce, announced September 27, builds on the FDA’s Strategy for the Safety of Imported Food, which began…

  • CSPI Urges FDA to Establish Standardized Front-of-Package Labeling

    The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed a regulatory petition asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “to require on the principal display panel of a food an easy-to-understand, standardized system that is 1) mandatory, 2) nutrient-specific, 3) includes calories, and is 4) interpretative with respect to the levels of…

  • Attorneys General Urge FDA, USDA to Take Action on Heavy Metals in Baby Food

    The attorneys general of 22 states have submitted a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) asserting that the agencies “are not sufficiently prioritizing a public health problem long overdue for robust action: children’s exposure to neurotoxic heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) through foods specifically designed…

  • Attorneys General File for Reconsideration of Heavy Metals Petition

    The attorneys general of 21 states have filed a petition for reconsideration for a citizen petition denied May 2, 2022, that urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “to adopt a series of interim guidance measures intended to complement the long-term approach of the Closer to Zero Plan,” which aims to reduce the amount…

  • Politico Investigates FDA’s Actions on Food

    Politico has published a report on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on more than 50 interviews with current and former employees of the agency, including former FDA commissioners. “There is a remarkable level of consensus that the agency is simply not working,” states the report. “Current and former officials and industry professionals…

  • FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Non-Major Food Allergens

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance on how it will evaluate the public health importance of a food allergen not listed as a major food allergen. Topics in the guidance include (i) scientific factors FDA will consider; (ii) what types of information will be relevant to the labeling and production…