Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Category: U.S. Government and Regulatory Agencies

  • CSPI Urges FDA to Establish Standardized Front-of-Package Labeling

    The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed a regulatory petition asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “to require on the principal display panel of a food an easy-to-understand, standardized system that is 1) mandatory, 2) nutrient-specific, 3) includes calories, and is 4) interpretative with respect to the levels of…

  • USDA to Update Organic Regulations for Livestock, Poultry

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting comments on proposed changes to organic standards for livestock and poultry production. Issues addressed in the proposed changes include livestock health care practices, living conditions, transport and slaughter. The many proposed changes include a limit on the types of physical alterations permissible in organic livestock production, such as…

  • GAO Issues Report on Promoting Healthy Eating Across Agencies

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report suggesting that federal agencies can better coordinate guidance on healthy eating. The report found that GAO’s previous recommendations had not been implemented, including a 2021 recommendation that Congress “consider identifying and directing a federal entity to lead a strategy on diet-related efforts.” The agency also…

  • Attorneys General Urge FDA, USDA to Take Action on Heavy Metals in Baby Food

    The attorneys general of 22 states have submitted a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) asserting that the agencies “are not sufficiently prioritizing a public health problem long overdue for robust action: children’s exposure to neurotoxic heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) through foods specifically designed…

  • Attorneys General File for Reconsideration of Heavy Metals Petition

    The attorneys general of 21 states have filed a petition for reconsideration for a citizen petition denied May 2, 2022, that urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “to adopt a series of interim guidance measures intended to complement the long-term approach of the Closer to Zero Plan,” which aims to reduce the amount…

  • FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Non-Major Food Allergens

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance on how it will evaluate the public health importance of a food allergen not listed as a major food allergen. Topics in the guidance include (i) scientific factors FDA will consider; (ii) what types of information will be relevant to the labeling and production…

  • FDA to Research Use of “Healthy” Symbol

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will conduct quantitative consumer research on the use of “voluntary symbols that could be used in the future to convey the nutrient content claim ‘healthy.’” The agency is simultaneously “developing a proposed rule that would update when manufacturers may use the ‘healthy’ nutrient content…

  • Yogurt Standard of Identity Updated to Allow for Technological Advancements

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule amending the acceptable qualities of food labeled as yogurt. Under the rule, the standards of identity for lowfat and nonfat yogurt will be combined with the general definition; in addition, the list of allowable ingredients has expanded to include additional substances such as…