Category: Issue 346
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Draft Nanotech Policy Framework for California Scheduled for Discussion and Comment
The University of California-San Francisco Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment has developed draft policy recommendations to address potential health risks from nanomaterials and nanotechnology. When finalized, the document will be presented to California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to better inform the agency’s risk assessment recommendations. The draft will be…
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Canadian Government Considers Changes to “Made in Canada” Label
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) officials recently solicited public and industry feedback on a proposal to loosen country-of-origin labeling guidelines by exempting specific ingredients difficult to obtain in Canada. The amendment would reportedly exclude imported salt, sugar and other spices from provisions that require processed products labeled “Product of Canada” or “Made in Canada” to obtain…
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Danone Withdraws Requests That EFSA Approve Health Claims for Yogurt Products
Danone has reportedly decided not to pursue its applications to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to approve beneficial health claims for two of its yogurt products, Actimel® and Activia®. According to a news source, the company took the action because of changes to European regulation of health claims. Previously, each member state’s regulatory authority…
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EFSA Reevaluates Scientific Opinion for Three Food Colorings
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published safety reassessments of three food additives, Brilliant Black (E 151), Brown HT (E 155) and Brown FK (E 154). For Brilliant Black, which first gained approval in 1984, EFSA has confirmed the existing acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 5 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight (mg/kg bw). According…
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EU Agrees to Remove U.S. Rice Import Restrictions
A committee of European Union (EU) member state officials has reportedly decided to cease imposing U.S. rice import restrictions which had been in place since 2006 when genetically modified (GM) rice was found in conventional rice supplies. U.S. rice could be sold in the EU over the past four years only if certified as free…
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Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Plans Final Meeting
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have announced the sixth and final meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which is soliciting public comment on its draft report titled “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” USDA and HHS publish the report at least every five years “after a thorough…
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FDA Seeks Information on Pathogens in Spices
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a request for comments and scientific data “that would assist the agency in its plans to conduct a risk profile for pathogens and filth in spices.” FDA has requested input on specific hazards, including “microbiological pathogens and filth in spices that are identified and published in literature,…
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Organics Watchdog Calls on USDA, FTC to Stop Use of “Organic” in Company Names
The Cornucopia Institute has called for action by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to stop what it alleges is the misleading practice of companies using the word “organic” in their names while selling foods not certified organic. In its April 22, 2010, letter to the USDA’s deputy administrator,…