Tag: USDA
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AMS Proposes Amendments to Organic National List
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has proposed its regular update to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, which lists the synthetic substances allowed in the cultivation of organic products. The proposed additions are (i) low-acyl gellan gum, which is used as a thickener, and (ii) paper-based crop planting aids,…
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USDA Announces Codex Meeting on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a public meeting to receive comments on the U.S. positions for the Codex Alimentarius Committee meeting on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses. The public meeting, which will be held October 19, 2021, will include discussions on a draft guide for ready-to-use therapeutic foods and the…
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USDA Requests Comments on Cultured Meat and Poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has requested comments on “the labeling of meat and poultry products comprised of or containing cultured cells derived from animals subject to the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act.” Comments will be accepted until November 2, 2021. The announcement details the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association’s 2018 petition…
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Coalition of Advocacy Groups, Poultry Producers Calls for Changes
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has joined three other advocacy groups and four poultry producers to urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to update poultry food safety standards. “While progress on reducing foodborne illness has been at a standstill, scientific knowledge of Salmonella has greatly increased and recognized best practices for…
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Foods Grown Hydroponically Can Be Labeled “Organic,” Court Affirms
The National Organic Program can continue to include foods grown through hydroponics following a ruling from a California federal court holding that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acted reasonably in concluding that the statutory scheme does not exclude hydroponics. Ctr. for Food Safety v. Perdue, No. 20-1537 (N.D. Cal., entered March 18, 2021). The…
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FSIS Violated APA in Removing Pork Line Speed Limits, Court Rules
A Minnesota federal court has ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) violated the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) when it adopted the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS), which eliminated line speed limits for pork processing. United Food & Com. Workers Union, Local 663 v. USDA, No. 19-2660 (D. Minn.,…
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USDA Announces Codex Meetings on Food Additives and Contaminants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced public meetings to discuss U.S. positions for Codex Alimentarius Commission sessions on food contaminants and additives. The contaminants meeting will be held April 12, 2021, and will address issues such as maximum levels of cadmium in chocolate, levels of lead in multiple food categories, radioactivity in water,…
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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…