Category: Issue 325
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EU Rebuffs United States in WTO Poultry Dispute
The European Union has reportedly blocked a U.S. request that the World Trade Organization (WTO) settle a dispute over a ban on American poultry imports. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative apparently asked for the ruling after industry groups criticized the scientific evidence behind an EU regulation prohibiting the pathogen-reduction treatments used in U.S.…
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World Trade Organization COOL Initiative Blocked
The United States has reportedly blocked Canadian and Mexican efforts to convene a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel that would determine whether the new U.S. country-of-origin (COOL) labeling requirements for meat products are fair. Under WTO procedures, a country can block the creation of a dispute settlement panel once. If, as expected, Canada and Mexico…
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Draft Acrylamide Toxicological Profile Now Available for Public Comment
The Department of Health and Human Service’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has posted on its website a draft toxicological profile for acrylamide, a chemical by-product of some high-temperature cooking processes that has been linked to cancer in laboratory rats. The agency is accepting public comments on the profile until February 26, 2010.
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NIH Program to Spend $30 Million on Bisphenol A Research
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has announced that it will spend $30 million on two-year research grants targeting the potential health risks of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure. The ubiquitous chemical is used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins that may leach into foods and beverages from product packaging. “We know that…
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Smart Choices Program™ Halted Pending Review by FDA, Connecticut AG
The food industry has reportedly halted a new front-of-packaging (FOP) labeling campaign pending Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance. According to an October 23, 2009, press release, the Smart Choices Program™ voluntarily postponed active operations after FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg indicated “that the agency intends to develop standardized criteria on which future front-of-package nutrition or…