Category: U.S. Government and Regulatory Agencies
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Executive Order Aims to Ease “Regulatory Maze” for GMOs
President Donald Trump has reportedly signed an executive order that directs federal agencies to simplify the path to regulatory approval for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The order also apparently recommends that trading partners should be urged to take similar approaches to regulating GMOs.
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Guidance Finalized for Added Sugar Labeling in Syrups
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finalized guidance on labeling for added sugars in single-ingredient packages of “pure honey, pure maple syrup, and other pure sugars and syrups, which are not required to bear the words ‘Includes Xg Added Sugars’ but must still include the percent Daily Value (DV) for added sugars on their…
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FDA Proposes Third-Party Food Safety Certification
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated that it will seek public comment on a proposal that would allow the accreditation of third-party certification bodies “to conduct food safety audits of eligible foreign food facilities, and issue food and facility certifications, pursuant to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.” The notice responds to…
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Dietary Guidelines Meetings Announced
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services have announced meetings to hear public comments on the 2020 dietary guidelines revisions. The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will allow three-minute pre-registered comments from the public at its meetings on July 11, 2019, and January 25, 2020, and registration for the July meeting closes…
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FDA Recommends Standardized Use of “Best If Used By”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent a letter to food and beverage manufacturers recommending that they primarily use “Best If Used By” on their packages to help consumers who may be confused by the use of the phrase “Sell By.” The letter explains that the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute…
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APHIS Proposes GMO Rules Revisions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced proposed revisions to its regulations regarding “the movement (importation, interstate movement, and environmental release) of certain genetically modified organisms” (GMOs). The proposal, “the first comprehensive revision of the regulations since they were established in 1987,” would adjust how the agency handles…
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FDA Issues Guidance on “Potassium Chloride Salt”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance for industry on the use of “potassium chloride salt” on food labels as an acceptable alternative to the use of the common or usual name “potassium chloride.” The guidance indicates that the agency recognizes that food manufacturers “wishing to reduce sodium chloride in their…
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Bill Introduced to Ban PFAS in Food Containers
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) has introduced legislation that would “ban the use of toxic perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) in food containers and cookware.” The Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to deem PFAS chemicals in food containers as unsafe by 2022. “We already know the…