Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Category: Issue 280

  • Obesity Survey Shows Changing Attitudes About Responsibility

    Nielsen’s Consumer Insight Magazine reports that rising rates of obesity in the United States can be attributed not only to increasing calorie consumption and less exercise, but also to “pure demographics.” According to the report, “The population is older than ever before and Americans tend to be fatter when older. Women are heavier, and because…

  • Food Companies Adopt New Labeling Standards to Aid Consumers

    Several of the nation’s largest food and beverage companies have reportedly agreed to market their products under a common nutritional standard and logo designed to lessen consumer confusion at the supermarket. The “Smart Choices Program” allows participating manufacturers to display a “check mark” logo alongside calorie and serving size information on the front of products…

  • Washington Cattleman Sues USDA Over COOL Regulations

    A rancher in eastern Washington has reportedly sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in federal court, seeking changes to its country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules for beef products. According to a news source, Easterday Ranches claims that the regulations are adding to costs for the U.S. beef industry and consumers. Apparently, cattle born in other…

  • USDA and FDA Announce Public Meeting to Discuss Codex Food Import Agenda

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have announced a November 4, 2008, public meeting to consider agenda items coming before the 17th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS). Slated for November 24-28 in Cebu, Philippines, the Codex session will…

  • Advisory Panel Issues Draft Peer Review Criticizing FDA’s Bisphenol A Exposure Assessment

    A subcommittee of FDA’s Science Board has released its peer review of the agency’s draft assessment of bisphenol A (or BPA) for use in food contact applications. The FDA’s draft assessment concluded, on the basis of industry-funded studies, that “an adequate margin of safety exists for BPA at current levels of exposure from food contact…