Category: U.S. Government and Regulatory Agencies
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EPA Declines to Ban Chlorpyrifos
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reportedly rejected efforts to ban chlorpyrifos, finding that “the data available are not sufficiently valid, complete or reliable to meet petitioners’ burden to present evidence demonstrating that the tolerances are not safe.” The decision follows a 2015 ban and 2017 reversal, which prompted legal challenges. EPA will reportedly continue…
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FDA Issues Revised Fish Consumption Guidance for Pregnant Women
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued guidance revising advice for pregnant women about safe fish consumption. “Advice About Eating Fish: For Women Who Are or Might Become Pregnant, Breastfeeding Mothers, and Young Children” includes “a statement that eating fish when pregnant or breastfeeding can provide health benefits and states that fish and…
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USDA Issues Guidance on Meal Kits
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released guidance on meal kits requiring inspection by the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The guidance indicates that meal kits do not require assembly subject to FSIS inspection if (i) the “meat or poultry component is prepared and separately packaged under FSIS inspection and labeled with…
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Qualified Health Claims for Omega-3s Allowed
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will not object to claims that “consuming eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) omega-3 fatty acids in food or dietary supplements may reduce the risk of hypertension and coronary heart disease.” FDA’s research on the claim included reviewing more than 700 studies and 22…
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DeLauro, Durbin Introduce Safe Food Act of 2019
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) have introduced the Safe Food Act of 2019, “which would create a single, independent food safety agency.” In addition, the proposed law would “[r]equire full food traceability to better identify sources of outbreaks” and “[s]trengthen oversight of foreign food facilities and improve food import inspections.”…
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Oatly to Remove Added Sugars Claim Following Ad Board Decision
The National Advertising Division (NAD) has recommended that Oatly Inc. discontinue marketing representations that its oat milks contain “no added sugars.” According to NAD’s summary, the challenger argued that “the hydrolysis process, which turns oats into oatmilk, creates sugars ‘in situ’ as the oats are broken down into smaller components.” NAD considered whether the question…
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Proposed Amendment Would Provide Funds for FDA Oversight of CBD
Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), in partnership with the Natural Products Association, has reportedly filed an amendment to the House Agriculture appropriations bill that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) funding to undertake the process to identify a safe daily intake level of cannabidiol (CBD). “Since the passage of the 2018 Farm Act…
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FDA Issues Statement on PFAS in Food
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food following a presentation published in the media that indicated the agency found the substances in meat, fish and chocolate. “Overall, our findings did not detect PFAS in the vast majority of the foods tested,” the statement…