Category: Issue 281
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Andrew Martin, “Budgets Squeezed, Some Families Bypass Organics,” The New York Times, Nov. 1, 2008
This article examines the effect of “shaky consumer spending” on the organic industry, which is “starting to show signs that a decades-long sales boom may be coming to an end.” New York Times reporter Andrew Martin states that, according to the Nielsen Co., organics sales growth has declined from 20 percent per year in recent years…
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Federal Regulators to Present Perspectives on Third Party Audits at D.C. Conference
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, American National Standards Institute and other organizations are co-sponsoring a conference titled “Bolstering Consumer Confidence: Identifying Essential Third Party Food Safety Audit Criteria,” December 2-3, 2008, in Washington, D.C. Among the conference speakers is the administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), who will discuss…
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More Lawsuits Filed in China over Melamine-Contaminated Milk
According to a news source, nine families whose babies developed kidney problems allegedly as a result of drinking milk tainted with melamine have filed individual lawsuits against the Sanlu Group, one of China’s largest milk companies. Each child developed kidney stones, and six reportedly remain hospitalized. The families are seeking the equivalent of US$2,000 for…
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Food Poisoning Verdict Reinstated in California
A California appeals court has determined that a misreading of prior case law led a trial court judge to erroneously overturn a jury verdict in favor of a plaintiff who alleged that she was made ill from exposure to campylobacter at defendant’s restaurant. Sarti v. Salt Creek Ltd., No. G037818 (Cal. Ct. App., 4th App.…
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Second Workshop on Added Nutrients Scheduled in California
California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has scheduled a workshop for December 12, 2008, to discuss possible regulatory language that would apply to foods or crops with added nutrients that exceed levels considered safe under Proposition 65. According to OEHHA’s notice, “this set of regulations, if adopted, will only apply to chemicals that…