Category: Issue 687
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FDA Provides Update on Added Sugar Labeling for Honey and Maple Syrup
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued a statement providing an update on how mandated added-sugar labeling will affect honey and maple syrup. “We recognized that this new labeling information on ‘packaged as such’ products may inadvertently lead consumers to think their pure products, such as a jar of honey or maple…
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EFSA Explores Risks of Cricket Consumption
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released a report on risks associated with consuming crickets. The report finds that crickets contain high microbial loads because the entire insect—”including their guts”—is eaten, but food-borne bacteria infections are rare, though they may occur during processing. Crickets can also be host to mycotoxin-producing fungi that cannot be…
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FSA Finds One-Fifth of Meat Samples Contain Unspecified DNA
The U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reportedly found that one-fifth of meat samples tested contained DNA not attributable to the animal source indicated on the label. FSA conducted 665 tests from 487 businesses suspected of “compliance issues,” including restaurants and supermarkets, and purportedly found that some samples contained DNA from as many as four…
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FDA, USDA Announce Joint Meeting on Animal Cell Cultures
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have announced a joint public meeting to discuss “the use of cell culture technology to develop products derived from livestock and poultry.” The meeting, which will be held October 23-24, 2018, will focus on “the potential hazards, oversight considerations, and labeling” of the…
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Kind Snacks Contain Undisclosed Processed Ingredients, Lawsuit Alleges
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Kind LLC misleadingly markets its products as made from whole fresh fruits. Song v. Kind LLC, No. 18-4982 (E.D.N.Y., filed September 4, 2018). The complaint asserts that the product names and descriptions “use collective names to refer to their components” because they are allegedly made from…
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Plaintiff Alleges AriZona Beverages Misrepresents Sugar and Calorie Content
AriZona Beverages LLC faces a putative class action alleging it misleads consumers by representing the sugar and calorie content of its beverages based on a serving size of eight ounces while its product is sold in 16-ounce cans. Neville v. AriZona Beverages USA LLC, No. 18-5040 (E.D.N.Y., filed September 6, 2018). The complaint asserts that AriZona “engaged…
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England May Ban Energy Drink Sales to Minors
England’s Department of Health and Social Care has opened a consultation on whether the country should ban the sale of energy drinks to children. The consultation requests comments on (i) “what products should be included in any restrictions,” (ii) “what age limit a ban should apply to,” (iii) “whether sales of energy drinks from vending machines…
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California Legislature Changes Default Beverage in Kids’ Meals
The California legislature has passed a bill that would require retail food facilities to make the default beverages sold with children’s meals “water, sparkling water or flavored water, as specified, or unflavored milk or a nondairy milk alternative, as specified.” Flavored waters may not contain “added natural or artificial sweeteners,” while nondairy milk alternatives must…