Consumer groups petition FDA to assess GE salmon as food additive

10-Feb-2012 - Consumer groups have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to alter the process by which it assesses the safety of AquaBounty’s fast-growing genetically engineered (GE) salmon.

Non-GMO Verified sales hit $1bn

07-Feb-2012 - Non-GMO Project Verified has become the fastest growing food eco-label in North America, as sales of certified products hit $1bn in 2011, according to findings unveiled at Organic Monitor’s Sustainable Foods Summit in San Francisco last month.

Just a matter of time before canola protein enters the major league, says BioExx

30-Jan-2012 - "At least 12 major players in the food industry" are testing canola protein from BioExx, while a tie up with Century Foods to develop canola-protein-based sports products is also progressing well, claims the veggie protein specialist.

BASF pulls out of European GM market

17-Jan-2012 - Ingredients and chemicals giant BASF has announced it will pull the plug on its European operations in genetically modified plant development due to a lack of acceptance in the market.

‘Free from’ top-of-mind for health-conscious consumers, survey finds

04-Jan-2012 - Health- and eco-conscious consumers are just as interested in the ingredients their foods do not contain as those that make it onto the ingredient list – but price remains a top priority, according to a new survey.

Monsanto soybean trait for lower saturated fat gets USDA deregulation

20-Dec-2011 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has deregulated the biotech trait in Monsanto’s Vistive Gold soybeans, allowing the production of low saturated- and trans-fat oils from the beans within the United States.

Responsible approach to GM fish is to assume escape: Committee hearing

19-Dec-2011 - The responsible approach to considering whether genetically engineered (GE) salmon pose a risk to the environment is to assume that the fish will escape and disregard assurances from the company that they would not, said Senator Mark Begich at a committee hearing on Thursday.

POLL results: We need a clearer definition of natural... and the FDA should come up with it

07-Nov-2011 - We need a formal definition of ‘natural’ to ensure it is used more consistently in food labeling and marketing– and the FDA should provide it - according to the results of the latest FoodNavigator-USA/NutraIngredients-USA poll.

Industry should develop working definition of ‘natural’ if FDA won’t, expert

25-Oct-2011 - A co-ordinated industry-led effort to produce a working definition of the term ‘natural’ on food packaging would help firms navigate one of the most contentious areas of food marketing, according to one labeling expert.

Cereal giants are duping shoppers with ‘all-natural’ claims, says lobby group

20-Oct-2011 - The row over the use of the term ‘natural’ on food packaging has intensified with the publication of a new report accusing leading cereal firms of duping shoppers with their own “self-serving” definitions in the absence of any legal criteria.

News in brief

Do consumers have a right to know whether foods have been made with GM ingredients?

05-Oct-2011 - A coalition of nearly 400 businesses and organizations has delivered a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling for the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods.

Industry commends US Codex reps’ support of science-based standards

02-Sep-2011 - A group of industry and agriculture organizations has commended US representatives attending Codex committee meetings over the past year for their leadership and support of science-based standards.

Insect develops resistance to Monsanto’s GM corn

01-Sep-2011 - Western corn rootworms have been consuming genetically modified (GM) crops that have been developed to be resistant to them, raising questions about the longevity of some GM traits, according to a study in the online journal PloS One.

'Few technologies could survive' flawed GM salmon review process, warns ex FDA panel member

11-Aug-2011 - A former member of the government committee charged with assessing the safety of the first genetically engineered (GE) fish for human consumption says “few, if any technologies could survive” the flawed review process.

Agro groups: Derailing GM fish review would dent FDA’s credibility

04-Aug-2011 - More than 30 agricultural organizations have signed a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to complete its review of the world’s first genetically engineered fish for human consumption.

Big interview: Ronald Stotish, ceo, AquaBounty Technologies

‘Political shenanigans’ must not thwart scientific review process, warns GM fish boss

25-Jul-2011 - Arguments put forward by senators attempting to derail the approval process for the world’s first genetically engineered fish for human consumption are politically motivated and have no basis in fact, according to the firm trying to bring them to market.

GM salmon boss attacks senators for ‘misinformed paranoia’

21-Jul-2011 - The boss of a Massachusetts-based firm attempting to commercialize genetically engineered farmed salmon has accused a small group of senators opposing the move of “willfully ignoring science-based research” and spreading “misinformed paranoia”.

‘Ill-defined, irrational and costly’ GM approval process must be reviewed, academic

05-Jul-2011 - The system for assessing new GM crops with nutritional and environmental benefits must be improved to reduce the time and expense of gaining approvals and enable smaller players to get a look in, according to one leading academic.

Comment

Risk, rationality and that schizophrenic beast called the food industry

27-Jun-2011 - If the food industry wants journalists and consumers to get real about risk, then it has to get real too.

Biotech’s big guns gear up for battle of ‘next-generation’ soybean oils

17-Jun-2011 - The next generation of soybean oils will give the food industry a cost-effective and healthier alternative to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVOs) with flavor and stability current alternatives cannot deliver, according to biotech giants Monsanto and DuPont.

Solbar seeks to strengthen position in US health and nutrition market

07-Jun-2011 - Israeli soy ingredients company Solbar is looking to expand its presence in the United States, where it sees particular opportunities for non-GM and hexane-free protein isolates in the health and nutrition market.

Plaintiffs hail dismissal of appeal in GM sugar beet case

26-May-2011 - A US court of appeals has said that Monsanto must produce further studies examining the environmental impact of its genetically modified (GM) sugar beets before they can be planted on a commercial scale.

60 second interview: Gary Berger, Kraft Foods

Kraft: Weight-conscious consumer is key to growth in meat alternatives

10-May-2011 - Elaine Watson caught up with Gary Berger, BOCA brand manager, Kraft Foods, to talk about opportunities in meat free.

California Assembly votes to label GM fish

10-May-2011 - Genetically modified fish in California would have to be labeled as such according to a bill approved by the California Assembly Health Committee last week.