Category: Issue 486
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NYC Health Department Expands Campaign to All Sweetened Beverages
The New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has reportedly launched an ad campaign targeting beverages with added sugars, such as sports drinks, teas and energy drinks. Part of a four-year “Pouring on the Pounds” campaign that has compared sweetened soft drinks to sugar packets and fat globs, the new TV ads…
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Connecticut Passes GM Labeling Legislation
Connecticut lawmakers have passed a bipartisan bill (H.B. 6527) that will require labeling on foods that contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients, making it the first state in the nation to enact such legislation. Designated as “An Act Concerning Genetically-Engineered Food,” the bill was unanimously passed in the Senate and by a 134-3 vote in the House.…
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Animal Welfare Institute Petitions FSIS for Humane Slaughter Methods
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has submitted a petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) asking that the agency require all slaughter establishments to create and implement written animal-handling plans to decrease the “needless suffering of animals during slaughter.” Citing more than 1,000 humane slaughter violations that allegedly occurred…
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FSIS Proposes Labeling Mechanically Tenderized Beef Products
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a proposal that would require beef products undergoing a mechanical tenderization process be labeled as such and include new cooking instructions to ensure proper handling. According to an agency spokesperson, “Ensuring that consumers have effective tools and information is important in helping…
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Proposed Legislation Would Ban BPA in Food and Beverage Containers
U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has re-introduced legislation (H.R. 2248) that would prohibit the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in all food and beverage containers. Titled the “Ban Poisonous Additives Act 2013,” the bill would “ban reusable food and beverage containers (e.g., thermoses) and other food containers (e.g., canned food and formula) that contain BPA…