Category: Issue 436
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Insurers Seek Reimbursement for Costs of Defending Restaurant in Food Toxin Suit
The insurance carriers for Rubio’s Restaurant have filed a motion for summary judgment in a dispute with the company that insured the restaurant’s fish supplier, following the settlement of claims pursued by a restaurant patron who alleged that he has permanent and severe neurological injuries from exposure to a toxin from the mahi mahi in…
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JPML Rejects Motion to Consolidate and Centralize Tainted Beef Litigation
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has denied a motion seeking to consolidate and transfer to a multidistrict litigation court three cases filed in federal courts against companies allegedly responsible for a 2009 E. coli outbreak involving contaminated ground beef. In re: Ne. Contaminated Beef Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 2346 (J.P.M.L., D. Conn., decided…
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Sweden Bans BPA in Food Packaging for Kids
Sweden has banned the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging intended for children younger than age 3. Mainly affecting the lids of baby food jars, the April 13, 2012, edict also gave the Swedish Chemicals Agency three months to investigate whether the chemical should be prohibited in certain types of thermal paper, such…
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British Survey Shows “Upward Trend” in Acrylamide Levels for Some Retail Foods
The U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) has released its fourth Food Surveillance Information Sheet analyzing acrylamide and furan levels in 248 retail products from 10 food groups. Conducted from 2007 to 2011, the survey apparently revealed “an upward trend in acrylamide levels in processed cereal-based baby foods (excluding rusks), and a reduction in other products,…
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Humane Society Alleges Deceptive Marketing of Pork in FTC Complaint
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has reportedly filed a legal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging that the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) “is engaging in deceptive advertising related to animal well-being in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act,” according to an April 18, 2012, press release. In particular,…
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TTB to Require Labeling of Cochineal Extract and Carmine in Wine, Malt Beverages
The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has issued a final rule ordering “the disclosure of the presence of cochineal extract and carmine on the labels of any alcohol beverage containing one or both of these color additives.” According to TTB, the rule responds to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation that…
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FDA Issues Draft Food Guidance with Information on Nanotechnology Applications
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance that, in part, addresses the use of nanotechnology in food processing. Among other matters, “FDA considers food manufacturing processes that involve nanotechnology in the same manner as any other food manufacturing technology,” although the agency also apparently recognizes that “nanotechnology and other emerging technologies may…