Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Category: U.S. Government and Regulatory Agencies

  • FDA Releases Foodborne Illness Report

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the release of the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration’s annual report, which provides data on source attribution estimates for 2020 for Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes. The findings include that (i) “Salmonella illnesses came from a wide variety of foods”; (ii) “E. coli O157 illnesses were most often linked to…

  • Public Meeting Announced for National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a November 15, 2022, public meeting to discuss and vote on adopting measures related to controlling Salmonella in poultry products. The meeting will also include an update on actions related to Cyclospora cayetanensis as well as an additional work charge on Cronobacter in powdered infant formula. Parties interested in expressing comments…

  • FDA Releases Proposed “Healthy” Definition Update

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a proposed update to guidance on how the term “healthy” can be used in marketing and labeling food products. The announcement notes that current limitations on usage of the term are out of step with the dietary guidelines—for example, salmon is excluded from permitted use due…

  • Biden Announces USDA Efforts to Increase Competition in Meat and Poultry Markets

    The Biden administration has announced a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule it says will promote inclusive competition and market integrity in the livestock, meat and poultry markets. At a September 26 meeting of the White House Competition Council, President Joe Biden announced the proposed Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity rules under the Packers…

  • EPA Denies Petition Requesting Rulemaking on Insecticide-Coated Seeds

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a petition from the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and other groups calling on the agency to amend or formally interpret the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as not exempting seeds covered in insecticide and thus requiring compliance with registration and labeling under FIFRA. CFS filed…

  • Biden Administration Releases National Food Strategy

    The White House has released the “Biden-Harris National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health,” which lays out the Biden administration’s policy goals on a number of food-related subjects. The third pillar of the strategy includes the administration’s intention to (i) “develop a front-of-package (FOP) labeling system to quickly and easily communicate nutrition information”; (ii) “make…

  • USDA Accepting Comments for Codex Meeting on Food Hygiene

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a public meeting to hear from stakeholders on positions for the December 2022 meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. Topics to be covered include draft guidelines for controlling E. coli in raw beef, fresh leafy vegetables, raw milk, raw cheese and sprouts as well as draft…

  • USDA Issues Final Rule Rolling Back Dual Labeling Regulations

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its final rule amending its labeling provisions requiring dual labeling for meat or poultry products, which will take effect Oct. 17, 2022. The proposed rule sought to amend the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) labeling regulations to remove provisions that require packages of meat or poultry products…