Category: Issue 385
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NOP Issues Final Rule on Methionine Use in Organic Poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) has issued a final rule extending the use of methionine in organic poultry production until October 1, 2012. Effective March 15, 2011, the rule amends the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances according to the recommendations of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which governs…
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Cornucopia Institute Complaint Targets Cereal’s “All Natural” Claims
The Cornucopia Institute, a consumer watchdog and proponent of “family-scale farming,” has reportedly filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), alleging that an Oregon-based cereal maker is misleading consumers with its “all natural” product claims. According to the institute, Hearthside Food Solutions, which makes Peace Cereal, labels its products as “natural” and then…
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FDF Members Change Recycled Packaging to Reduce Mineral Oil Risk
Individual members of the U.K. Food and Drink Federation (FDF) have reportedly announced plans to reconfigure their packaging after recent studies showed mineral oils from recycled cardboard leaching into food items. According to a March 8, 2011, BBC News article, which cited government researchers in Switzerland, the chemicals are used in printing inks “and have…
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Baby Gaga Ice Cream Deemed Fit for Consumption; Lady Gaga Threatens Lawsuit
The London shop that sells ice cream made with donated breast milk has reportedly been cleared to continue selling the product after government tests determined it was fit for human consumption. Additional details about the investigation into Baby Gaga ice cream appear in Issue 384 of this Update. The owner of Icecreamists, the store that…
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UK Pig Farmers Protest Falling Profits
The U.K. pork industry has reportedly staged a protest at Whitehall, claiming that retailer price cuts and increased feed costs have driven the sector “to the brink of collapse.” Backed by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s British Pig Executive (BPEX) and the National Pig Association (NPA), the “Pigs Are Still Worth It” campaign has criticized…
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Hungry Caterpillar to Grace Anti-Obesity Campaign
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation have selected Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar as literary fodder for their anti-obesity campaign, distributing copies of the best-selling children’s book to 17,500 pediatrician offices across the United States. The iconic story follows a caterpillar’s transformation from larva to butterfly while…
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NCL Files FDA Comment Opposing “Corn Sugar”
The National Consumers League (NCL) recently filed formal comments with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), opposing a petition to register “corn sugar” as an alternative name for high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Claiming that the change “would be inconsistent with longstanding FDA common or usual name regulations,” NCL argues that “permitting HFCS to be called…
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McDonald’s Shareholder Proposal Seeks Report on Policy Response to Obesity Concerns
The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, who hold about $2,000 of common stock in McDonald’s Corp., joined by nuns from orders in other states, have reportedly submitted a shareholder proposal seeking a report “within six months of the 2011 annual meeting, assessing the company’s policy responses to public concerns regarding linkages of fast food…