Category: Other Developments
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Crickets are the Next Quinoa, NYT Suggests
Crickets and other edible insects may be poised for widespread popularity, according to recent New York Times and NPR stories. Cricket flour—pulverized crickets in powder form—offers several nutritional benefits to consumers, including high levels of protein. The flour is gluten-free and compatible with the Paleo Diet, which eschews carbohydrates in favor of meat and vegetables,…
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Russia Bans Food Imports from United States, European Union
In response to recent sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has prohibited food imports from the United States, European Union, Australia, Norway, and Canada. The ban extends to meat, fish, produce, and milk products and will remain in place for one year. Although alcohol was not included in the announced food import bans,…
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GM Salmon Debacle “A Taste of Worse to Come”?
A recent Nature editorial warns that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) reluctance to approve genetically-modified (GM) salmon for market could hinder future research into new gene-editing techniques. Titled “Fishy Business,” the article claims that even though a draft assessment found AquaBounty Technologies’ GM salmon “environmentally benign,” FDA conducted many of its deliberations “behind…
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Former FDA Commissioner: Food Label Revisions Not Enough
Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler has authored a perspective article in the July 17, 2014, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, arguing that the agency’s proposed revisions to the Nutrition Facts panel “don’t go far enough.” While praising the first amendments to the panel since its launch in 1997, the…
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Food Marketing Workgroup Targets Lunchables
The Food Marketing Workgroup (FMW) has sent a July 16, 2014, letter to Kraft Foods Group, Inc., questioning how the company purportedly markets its Lunchables product line to children. Signed by Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity Director of Marketing Initiatives Jennifer Harris and Center for Science in the Public Interest Director of Nutrition…
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AMA Calls for Ban on Growth Antibiotics in Farm Feed
The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted a resolution pressing the federal government to prohibit the use of antibiotics in farm feed for the purpose of growth promotion in response to the rapid development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. David Wallinga, a physician on the Keep Antibiotics Working steering committee, said that overuse of antibiotics has driven…
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CSPI Slams Salty Menu Items
A Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) report examining the sodium contents of popular restaurant meals has urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set “reasonable limits on the amounts of sodium that can be used in various categories of food.” Although the 17 restaurant chains under review reduced sodium in their…
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Report Describes Sugar Industry Efforts to Obscure Science
The Union of Concerned Scientists’ Center for Science and Democracy has published a report describing how companies with an interest in promoting sugar consumption have hidden scientific evidence that reportedly reveals sugar to be a serious health threat. Goldman et al., “Added Sugar, Subtracted Science: How Industry Obscures Science and Undermines Public Health Policy on…