Tag: COVID-19
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USDA Reviewing Agency Inspections of Meatpacking Plants During COVID-19 Pandemic
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) inspector general will reportedly review how the agency handled inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Washington Post. The probe will review how the Food Safety and Inspection Service spent $33 million in extra funding provided by Congress in March 2020, including what precautions were taken to protect the…
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USDA, FDA Issue Joint Statement on Transmissibility of COVID-19 on Food Packaging
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued a joint statement stating that “there is no credible evidence of food or food packaging associated with or as a likely source of viral transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing COVID-19.” The statement was issued…
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Smithfield Foods “Safe Pork” Lawsuit to Continue
A D.C. Superior Court has denied Smithfield Foods’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging it misleads consumers by marketing its products as “safer pork.” Organic Consumers Assn. v. Smithfield Foods Inc., No. 2020 CA 2566 B (D.C. Super. Ct., entered December 14, 2020). The lawsuit, filed by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), alleged that Smithfield “employs…
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U.K. to Implement New Food Advertising Standards
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a series of measures aimed at limiting advertising for foods high in salt, sugar and fat. The measures include a ban on ads for such foods before 9 p.m., the implementation of calorie counts on food menus and a ban on “buy one get one” deals on some…
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Europe Announces Seizure of Counterfeit Dairy Products
Europol and Interpol have announced the seizure of 320 additional tonnes of “counterfeit and substandard food and beverages” following an operation that involved 83 countries, bringing the operation’s seizure total to about 12,000 tonnes. “This year’s operational activities have found a new disturbing trend to address: the infiltration of low-quality products into the supply chain,…
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Meatpackers Sue OSHA for COVID-19 Protections
A group of workers at a Maid-Rite Specialty Foods production plant has filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require Maid-Rite to establish procedures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection. Does v. Scalia, No. 20-1260 (M.D. Penn., filed July 22, 2020). The plaintiffs allege that they face…
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Shook Attorneys Provide Guidance on Getting Hand Sanitizers to Market in Multiple Countries
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for hand sanitizer has increased exponentially. Manufacturers of much-needed hand sanitizers face a maze of regulatory rules and restrictions in every country in which their products will be sold. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has monitored hand sanitizers entering the market, and the agency…
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USDA, HHS Release 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released the first print of the Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which will be used to guide dietary recommendations. Changes include a reduced recommendation for the percentage of added sugars in an adult’s diet and…