Category: Issue 367
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New York City Considers Excluding Sugar-Sweetened Beverages from SNAP
The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance has approved and submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) a New York City proposal “to exclude sugar-sweetened beverages, the largest single contributor to the obesity epidemic, from the list of allowable purchases through the nation’s food stamp program (also known as Supplemental Nutrition…
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FAO/WHO to Hold Expert and Stakeholder Meetings on BPA
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization will hold expert and stakeholder meetings to discuss bisphenol A (BPA) on November 1-5, 2010, in Ottawa, Canada. Supported by the European Food Safety Authority, Health Canada, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the November 2-5 expert…
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New Partnership to Address Potential Nanotech-Related Safety Concerns
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Science Foundation Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN) have announced a partnership to help companies identify and address potential health and safety concerns related to nanotechnology. NIOSH and CHN—a collaboration of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Northeastern University and the University of New Hampshire—will provide…
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U.S. Codex Delegates Prepare for Upcoming Meetings
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced an October 13, 2010, public meeting in College Park, Maryland, to provide information and receive public comments on draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 32nd Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) on…
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Audit Standard for Biotech Compliance Program Available
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has published a notice announcing the availability of its biotechnology compliance assistance program audit standard. The document “will be used by participating regulated entities to develop and implement sound management practices, thus enhancing compliance with the regulatory requirements for field trials and movement…
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FDA Revises Qualified Health Claims for Selenium Dietary Supplements
According to counsel for a company that makes dietary supplements containing selenium, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to allow the company to make qualified health claims for the products that include brief disclaimers. The company will apparently be able to label its products with claims that selenium “may reduce the risk” of…
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FDA Announces Plan to Launch “Regulatory Science” Initiative
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a report titled “Advancing Regulatory Science for Public Health,” that outlines the agency’s plan to develop new scientific and technological tools, standards and approaches to improve its ability to assess the safety, efficacy, quality, and performance of FDA-regulated products, including foods and tobacco. FDA expects to use…
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FTC Proposes Revisions to Environmental Marketing Guides
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has determined that its “Green Guides,” which “help marketers avoid making deceptive claims by outlining general principles that apply to all environmental marketing claims,” should be retained and updated. Initially developed in 1992 and last revised in 1998, the guides also provide information about how “reasonable consumers are likely to…