Category: Issue 294
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EFSA to Provide Risk Assessment for Food Packaging Chemical
German authorities have reportedly asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to provide a risk assessment for 4-methylbenzophenone, a food packaging chemical similar to benzophenone and hydroxybenzophenone that both have a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.01 mg/kilogram of body weight. Officials alerted EFSA through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed after a…
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Health Canada Seeks Comments on Acrylamide Proposal
Health Canada has recommended adding acrylamide to the country’s list of toxic substances. The chemical is produced when sugars and an amino acid in starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures, causing a reaction called the Maillard effect. Acrylamide has been detected in breakfast cereals, pastries, cookies, breads and rolls, coffee, and potato products such…
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Scientists Complain to EPA About Thwarted Research on GM Crops
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which will hold hearings on genetically modified (GM) crops during the first week of March 2009, has reportedly received a statement submitted anonymously by 26 corn-insect specialists who apparently contend that biotechnology companies are preventing them from fully researching the effectiveness and environmental impact of the industry’s GM crops. To…
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USDA Announces Public Meeting to Address Codex Agenda
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have announced a public meeting on March 5, 2009, to discuss agenda items and draft U.S. positions for the Third Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) slated for March 23-27, 2009, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Part of the Codex…
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USDA Sets COOL Implementation Date; Encourages Voluntary Measures
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) will take effect as scheduled on March 16, 2009. Pursuant to an Obama administration memorandum, USDA reviewed the final rule that requires country-of-origin labeling for muscle cuts and ground beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat, and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh…
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White House Unveils FY2010 Budget
With critics and supporters lined up to do battle over President Barack Obama’s proposed $3.55 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget, the ultimate outcome for proposals relating to food safety and agricultural subsidies is a question mark. Still, the administration has proposed more than $1 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to increase…