Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - North America EU edition

FDA asked to rescind use of carbon monoxide for meats

17-Nov-2005 - A petition from a food and spice company could end up with the US food regulator rescinding its decision last year allowing processors to use carbon monoxide to keep packaged meat red and fresh-looking.

CSPI calls for tough regulations on salt

14-Nov-2005 - Salt should be treated as a food additive for the purposes of regulation, with strict limits placed on the salt content of processed foods, according to a petition sent by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week.

Tougher rules proposed on food safety policy in plants

10-Nov-2005 - Better training procedures, new requirements on allergen and pathogen controls, and tougher record keeping rules to ensure food safety in processing plants, are among the legislative changes proposed by the industry's regulator.

FDA targets lettuce industry with E. coli guidance

09-Nov-2005 - The FDA has issued a letter of guidance to the California lettuce industry in an attempt to stem the continuing human disease outbreaks linked to the consumption of fresh produce.

Meat product regulations to be re-examined

07-Nov-2005 - Regulations concerning the jurisdiction over certain food products that contain meat and poultry are to be re-examined next month to avoid inconsistencies, said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New legislation could standardize safety labelling thoughout states

02-Nov-2005 - New legislation may be passed to create a uniform system for all food safety standards and warning labels on food products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Food companies get guidance under Bioterrorism Act, registration

01-Nov-2005 - Now that the US authorities have issued final guidance under the Bioterrorism Act, companies can now have assurance about the food safety systems they have implemented or are about to put in place, and the costs involved in complying with the act.

FDA crushes cherry claims

25-Oct-2005 - The FDA is unconvinced that cherries pack as much of a health punch as some marketers of cherry-based products are claiming. It has issued warning letters to 29 companies, telling them to stop making disease prevention or treatment claims on their websites and product labels.

Tuna industry challenges validity of mercury lawsuit

24-Oct-2005 - A successful lawsuit against the tuna industry would lower the threshold for mercury so low that every US seafood product would require a warning, claim canners.

Food industry still wary after 'Cheeseburger Bill' victory

21-Oct-2005 - This week's passage of the so-called Cheeseburger Bill looks like a straightforward victory for food makers, but the industry should still be wary over the possibility of future litigation.

Senator demands state vetting over global trade accords

17-Oct-2005 - Fears that a WTO settlement could see state power drained and even supplanted by international-level trade accords has alarmed some Senators.

Trans-fat crusader sharpens focus for next battle

14-Oct-2005 - The Californian attorney who sued both Kraft and McDonald's over trans-fats tells FoodNavigator-USA.com how he forced the issue onto the front pages, and what his next plan of action is.

US trade offer breaks WTO deadlock

12-Oct-2005 - A firm commitment from the US to cut domestic farm subsidies by 60 percent within a five-year timeframe could revitalize WTO negotiations and benefit US food makers, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).

IFF settles claims with lung-damaged popcorn workers

07-Oct-2005 - A flavoring company has settled claims with 19 popcorn factory workers who claim that a butter flavoring led them to develop lung disease.

School junk food ban must be extended, claims campaigner

05-Oct-2005 - The food industry has been hammered for making children overweight, but one Californian parent believes that banning junk food in schools is redundant unless another legal loophole is dealt with.

FDA tightens anti-bioterrorism measures

03-Oct-2005 - A final ruling that requires all manufacturers to register with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is designed to ensure that the country's food supply remains safe from possible attack.

FDA abandons stringent salt levels for 'healthy' foods

30-Sep-2005 - The decision to adjust the maximum sodium levels permitted for foods that bear the implied nutrient content claim 'healthy' underlines continued consumer reticence towards low-salt products.

Harkin calls for radical rethink on obesity and nutrition

28-Sep-2005 - Senator Tom Harkin has called for a radical overhaul of USDA food standards in order to drag them into line with current thinking on obesity and nutrition.

GMA urges rejection of 'trade distorting tariffs'

26-Sep-2005 - The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has called for substantial reductions in 'trade distorting tariffs and subsidies' and a rejection of the EU's proposals regarding geographical indications.

Weekly Comment

Food law: friend or foe?

19-Sep-2005 - The food industry is in danger of harming itself with its recent lobbying against the further harmonisation and deepening of EU food regulation.

Food industry welcomes tighter self-regulation in obesity battle

19-Sep-2005 - New recommendations designed to strengthen self-regulation in children's advertising and tackle obesity have been welcomed by Grocery Manufacturers Association.

Consumer group blames business dollars for defeat of COOL

16-Sep-2005 - Millions of dollars spent in lobbying and elections has helped thwart a key food labeling law, claims a US consumer pressure group.

Trans fats task force backs new labeling regime

02-Sep-2005 - An interim report from Canada's Trans Fat Task Force has underlined the importance of new labeling regulations in reducing trans fat consumption.

California acrylamide lawsuit 'contrary to public interest'

02-Sep-2005 - The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has attacked California Attorney-General Bill Lockyer's lawsuit against a number of high-profile food firms as "unfortunate and contrary to the interest of public health."