Category: Issue 307
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Consumer Fraud Alleged Against Maker of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!®
A California resident has sued Unilever United States, Inc. in federal district court, seeking class certification, injunctive relief, restitution, and punitive damages for alleged violations of state consumer protection laws in the sale and marketing of a butter-substitute product known as “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!®” Rosen v. Unilever U.S., Inc., No. 09-02563 (N.D. Cal.,…
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OEHHA Reviews Industry Submission on Draft Prop. 65 Food Warning Regulations
California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which is responsible for implementing the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Prop. 65), is reportedly reviewing a joint industry proposal submitted in April 2009 with detailed recommendations for a comprehensive food warning system. OEHHA has been conducting meetings with stakeholders to develop…
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EPA Issues Final Rule Regarding Silver Residues in Surface-Sanitizing Solutions
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule that amends the exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of silver, excluding silver salts, in or on all foods when used in public eating places or applied on dairy- or food-processing equipment that comes into contact with surface-sanitizing solutions. The regulation requires…
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FDA Announces Delay of Reportable Foods Registry
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the availability of draft industry guidance titled “Questions and Answers Regarding the Reportable Food Registry as Established by the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007.” The Food Administration Amendments Act of 2007 required FDA to establish within one year of enactment an electronic portal to…
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USDA Restores Funds for Pesticide-Use Reporting
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has apparently resurrected a program that tracks pesticide use on food crops. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts pesticide-use surveys, which reportedly provide the only free, publicly available data on the agricultural chemicals applied to crops. Government agencies, environmental groups and academic scientists use the data to evaluate…
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CSPI Seeks Change in Bush Policy Prohibiting Use of Federal Funds to Discourage Soft Drink Consumption
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has called on Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to reverse a policy adopted during the Bush administration that precludes states from using federal nutrition education funds to discourage the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. In a June 12, 2009, letter, CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson, Director of Legal…