Category: U.S. Government and Regulatory Agencies
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D.C. Circuit Refuses to Hear COOL Regulation Challenge Again
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the requests of meat-producer interests to rehear arguments in a case challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules as a violation of First Amendment rights. Am. Meat Inst. v. USDA, No. 13-5281 (D.C. Cir., order entered October 31, 2014). Under the regulations, amended…
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GAO Report Advocates Bolstered Federal Monitoring of Pesticide Residues in Food
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has issued a report related to its review of the federal government’s oversight of pesticide residues in food. More specifically, the report discusses the congressional watchdog’s analysis of Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service and USDA Agricultural Marketing Service pesticide residue…
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FTC Seeks to Enjoin Gerber Claims About Infant Formula and Allergies
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a complaint in a New Jersey federal court against Gerber Products Co., alleging that since 2011 the company has falsely promoted its Good Start Gentle infant formula as a product that can prevent or reduce the risk of a child developing allergies. FTC v. Gerber Prods. Co.,…
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Restaurant Chain Settles Kobe Beef Putative Class Action
A California state court has approved the settlement of a putative class action alleging that Barney’s Worldwide Inc., owner of the Barney’s Beanery restaurant chain, falsely advertised its beef as Kobe beef when a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ban on the import of beef from Kobe, Japan, was in effect. Nalbantian v. Barney’s Worldwide Inc.,…
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Center for Food Safety Questions “Organic” Ocean-Based Fish Farms
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) has issued a report challenging the proposed organic aquaculture production regulations under consideration by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Titled Like Water and Oil: Ocean-Based Fish Farming and Organic Don’t Mix, the report argues that USDA should reject proposed standards that would allegedly dilute the value of organic certification…
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Pew/CSPI Report Calls on USDA to Modernize Meat Inspection
The Pew Charitable Trusts and Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) have released an October 2014 report urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reevaluate its current meat and poultry inspection system. Seeking to identify innovations that could better protect consumers, Meat and Poultry Inspection 2.0 compares U.S. regulations to those used in…
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USDA Should Strengthen Approach to Pathogens in Poultry Products, GAO Says
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report assessing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) current approach to Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken and turkey products and recommending that the agriculture secretary direct the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to take steps to improve the approach. The report reviews past USDA action on…
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HHS and USDA Schedule Meeting of 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) have scheduled a meeting of the 14-member committee charged with developing the federal government’s “2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans” for November 7, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST. The meeting is accessible to the public by Webcast only and…