Category: Issue 353
-
California Agency Responds to Objections to Expedited Prop. 65 Procedure on Fumonisin B1
California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has withdrawn its proposal to establish a “safe harbor level” under Proposition 65 (Prop. 65) for fumonisin B1, a substance produced by several mold species that occur mostly in corn, wheat and other cereals. The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) objected to the agency’s use of an…
-
MEPs Reject Traffic Light System in Favor of Uniform Labeling Laws
Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have apparently voted in favor of draft legislation that would require listing energy, fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt content on the front of food packages. Doing so, they rejected a traffic light system that sought to further emphasize the levels of salt, sugar and fat in processed foods, and…
-
FDA Seeks Input on Changes to Food and Color Additive Petition Submissions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called for comment on “the information collection provisions of FDA’s regulations for submission of petitions, including food and color additive petitions (including labeling) and generally recognized as safe (GRAS) affirmations.” As required by the Office of Management and Budget, the agency has invited comments on the following: (i)…
-
FDA, NOAA Enhance Efforts to Ensure Safety of Seafood in Gulf of Mexico
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have announced joint efforts to secure the safety of Gulf of Mexico seafood in the wake of the April 20, 2010, oil spill. “It is important to coordinate seafood surveillance efforts on the water, at the docks and at seafood processors…
-
APHIS Meetings to Target Animal Disease Traceability
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced two public meetings for stakeholders to offer input on a new framework for animal disease traceability. Specific details for a proposed animal disease traceability rule will be discussed on June 24, 2010, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and July 1 in…
-
Nebraska-Based Organics Certifier Suspended from Operating in China
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organics Program (NOP) has announced a settlement agreement with one of the nation’s leading organic certifiers, which had allegedly allowed inspections of Chinese organic food operations by auditors with a conflict of interest. Under the agreement, Nebraska-based Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) will be prohibited from certifying organic operations…
-
Dietary Advisory Committee Calls for Dietary Improvements, Food Environment Changes
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has released its recommendations to the secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), outlining proposed changes to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This report recommends 2010 guideline revisions that will implement “a lifestyle approach including a total diet that is energy balanced…
-
ISO Nano-Product Labeling Standard with Implications for Food Industry on ANSI Webinar Agenda
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has announced a July 9, 2010, webinar to provide an overview of the current draft of an Organization for Standardization (ISO) document titled “Guidance on the labeling of manufactured nano-objects and products containing manufactured nano-objects.” According to ANSI, “this nano-labeling document will likely have broad implications for a number…