Category: U.S. Government and Regulatory Agencies
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“Accurate Labels Act” Introduced in Congress
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) have introduced the Accurate Labels Act, a proposed amendment to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act that would require information about the “chemical composition of, and radiation emitted by” a food product to be based on the “best available science.” According…
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FDA Affirms Decision Banning PHOs in Foods
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed its 2015 decision removing partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) from generally recognized as safe status by denying a food additive petition seeking approval for the use of PHOs in some foods. The agency also extended the June 2018 compliance date for removing PHOs from food, citing trade…
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Missouri Legislature Passes Bill Banning “Clean Meat” Labels
The Missouri legislature has passed an agriculture bill that would prohibit companies from labeling lab-grown and plant-based products as “meat.” The bill bans “misleading or deceptive practices” in the sale of meat, including “misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry.” Missouri Governor Eric Greitens must sign the…
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U.S. House Rejects Farm Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted against the 2018 Farm Bill in a 213-198 vote. Dissenting voters apparently cited a number of issues, with some rejecting the bill’s changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and others protesting the legislature’s failure to enact unrelated immigration measures. Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R- La.) reportedly indicated…
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USDA Ends Discussion of Organic Checkoff Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the termination of a rulemaking proceeding that “proposed to establish a national research and promotion program for certified organic products under authority of the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996.” The Organic Trade Association proposed the program in 2015, and USDA accepted comments on the…
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USDA Releases Proposed Bioengineered Ingredients Standard
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released the proposed National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, which would establish “a mandatory uniform national standard for disclosure of information to consumers.” The proposal defines “bioengineered food” as food “that contains genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic…
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NAD Finds Perdue “Free Range,” “All-Veggie” Ads Misleading
The National Advertising Division (NAD) has recommended that Perdue Farms Inc. modify or discontinue broadcast and YouTube advertisements for the company’s Harvestland Organic chicken, finding the ads could mislead consumers into believing all Perdue chicken is organically raised. NAD found that the company’s “Free Range” and “All-Veggie Diet” ads featured “general brand references” to Perdue but…
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USDA Proposes Amendment to Allowed Organic Substances in Livestock
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed amending the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances to approve elemental sulfur for use in organic livestock production as a topical parasiticide for fleas, ticks and mites. The proposal would also reclassify potassium acid tartrate from a non-agricultural substance to an agricultural substance and require use of…