Tag: USDA
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USDA Receives Hundreds of Comments on Hemp Interim Rule
Two weeks after opening a comment period on an interim final rule on hemp farming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has received more than 600 comments. The rule set limits for the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that can legally be produced by the crop, and farmers have reportedly told the agency that the limit…
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USDA Issues Interim Rule on Hemp Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued an interim final rule “specifying the rules and regulations to produce hemp.” The rule outlines provisions for USDA “to approve plans submitted by States and Indian Tribes for the domestic production of hemp” and “establishes a Federal plan for producers in States or territories of Indian Tribes…
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Updates to National List Published
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a set of changes to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, which documents the synthetic materials allowed or banned in the production and handling of organic agriculture. The amendments include the addition of “elemental sulfur for use as a molluscicide,” the addition of “polyoxin D…
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Union Sues USDA for Swine Processing Rules
An international union and several of its local chapters have filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to change its final rule promulgated on October 1, 2019, that eliminates maximum processing speeds and permits processing plants to employ their own health and safety monitors. U. Food & Commercial Workers Union,…
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U.S. Agencies Announce Actions on Organics, NPIP, Hazard Analyses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a number of developments in their work on organic food, poultry and food safety. FDA released an update on the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), announcing it will track outcomes for FSMA rules for inspections and recalls via the…
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CSPI Submits Petition on Nitrate, Nitrite Labeling
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and Consumer Reports have petitioned the Food Safety and Inspection Service, requesting the agency “clarify the labeling of processed meats.” “Specifically, we ask that the agency cease requiring that such products be labeled ‘Uncured,’ and/or ‘No Nitrate or Nitrite Added’ when they have been processed using…
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Organic Producers Could Potentially Use GMOs, USDA Suggests
In testimony before the House Agriculture Subcommittee, Under Secretary of Agriculture Greg Ibach suggested that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could potentially be used in the production of organic foods eventually. “As the National Organic Standards Board set the rules originally, right now GMO or transgenics are not eligible to be in the Organic Program, but…
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USDA Issues Guidance on Meal Kits
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released guidance on meal kits requiring inspection by the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The guidance indicates that meal kits do not require assembly subject to FSIS inspection if (i) the “meat or poultry component is prepared and separately packaged under FSIS inspection and labeled with…