Tag: pesticide
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California Claims Pet Products at Whole Foods Violate Pesticide Limits
California’s pesticide regulator has reportedly filed a petition against Whole Foods alleging that several of its pet products, including cat litter and dog and cat flea spray, contain pesticides that have not been registered with the state. Cal. Dep’t of Pesticide Registration v. Whole Foods Mkt. Cal., Inc., No. 2013-00150499 (Cal. Super. Ct., Sacramento Cty.,…
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EFSA Finalizes Guidance on Pesticide-Related Risk to Bees
Following a request from the European Commission concerning the declining health of bees in Europe, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published new guidance for assessing the potential risks to bees from the use of pesticides. Noting that a previous risk assessment for honeybees did not fully account for risks from chronic or repeat…
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Codex Adopts New Food Safety and Nutrition Standards
The Codex Alimentarius has announced new food safety and nutrition standards that strive to “protect the health of consumers worldwide.” The regulations include guidance on preventing and reducing ochratoxin A—a reportedly carcinogenic contaminant—in cocoa, avoiding microbiological contamination of berries, preventing hydrocyanic acid in cassava, and when to label food with ”non-addition of sodium salts.” The commission also…
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Ninth Circuit Upholds Deregulation of GM Alfalfa
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling affirming the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) decision that genetically modified (GM) alfalfa is not a “plant pest” and thus that it lacked authority to stop its deregulation or to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service…
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Center for Food Safety Publishes “Guide to Food Industry Front Groups”
Public interest advocacy organization the Center for Food Safety has issued a report titled “Best Public Relations Money Can Buy: A Guide to Food Industry Front Groups,” authored by food activist and attorney Michele Simon. The report describes what front groups are and how they purportedly function, drawing parallels with a cigarette industry trade group,…
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Apples Top EWG List of Most Contaminated Produce
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has issued its 2013 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, which “ranks pesticide contamination on 48 popular fruits and vegetables, based on an analysis of more than 28,000 samples tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] and federal [Food and Drug Administration].” This year’s “Clean Fifteen™” list—fruits and vegetables…
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Environmentalists Sue EPA to Stop Use of Pesticides Allegedly Harmful to Honey Bees
Beekeepers, environmentalists and advocacy organizations have filed an action for declaratory and injunctive relief against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), claiming that the agency has failed to take any regulatory action on pesticide products containing the active ingredients clothianidin and thiamethoxam in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Endangered Species…
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Upcoming Codex Meeting to Target Pesticide Residues
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have scheduled a March 28, 2013, public meeting in Arlington, Virginia, to address draft U.S. positions for discussion at the 45th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues of the Codex Alimentarius Commission during a May 6-13 meeting in Beijing. Agenda items include…