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EU researchers revolted as EFSA clears health claims vault

04-Jul-2011 - The European Food Safety Authority last week delivered the fifth batch of article 13, general function health claim opinions bringing the total issued to 2723. There are just 35 to go – to be published next month in a final mini-batch that will conclude the task begun in August 2008.

Soda tax wouldn’t work as obese people prefer diet drinks, study suggests

29-Jun-2011 - A tax on sugar-sweetened beverages may not work to reduce obesity – because obese people could have a stronger tendency to buy diet soda, suggests new research from Northwestern University.

News in brief

IDFA runs food safety training to help dairy processors with new US regulations

29-Jun-2011 - The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is running pathogen control training workshops to help dairy processors comply with the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act.

Industry slams call for kids’ junk food ad ban

28-Jun-2011 - Industry bodies have slammed a call from an influential group of doctors to ban junk food advertising in children’s programming, claiming that it is based on outdated research.

Now Health gets FDA GRAS for enzyme-modified stevia

27-Jun-2011 - Now Health Group has received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) letter of no objection that its enzyme-modified organic stevia ingredient is generally recognized as safe (GRAS), the company has said.

Canada and EU agree organic equivalency

24-Jun-2011 - Canada and the European Union have reached an agreement on equivalency of organic products, in a move expected to significantly boost organic food trade between the two markets.

USDA increases sugar quota (again) on supply pressure

23-Jun-2011 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has again increased the 2011 sugar tariff rate quota to relieve supply pressure – a move the Sweetener Users Association has welcomed, while urging further adjustment.

FDA outlines strategy for food import safety

21-Jun-2011 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has outlined its strategy for ensuring the safety of imported foods in an effort to move away from seizing harmful goods to preventing their arrival, the agency said.

Dispatches from IFT

‘Perfect storm’ for adulteration of naturally derived food dyes

17-Jun-2011 - There is a perfect storm brewing for increased adulteration of numerous naturally derived food ingredients, and colorants in particular, according to US Pharmacopeia, the standards-setting firm behind the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC).

New label to certify gluten-free goods

17-Jun-2011 - A new US gluten-free certification aims to meet consumer demand for genuine products that carry the claim, say the groups behind the programme.

Kellogg gets federal warning after Listeria found in cookie plant

15-Jun-2011 - Kellogg Co has been censured by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after traces of Listeria monocytogenes were found littered throughout its cookie plant in Georgia.

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FDA's enforcement deserves loud applause

13-Jun-2011 - A flurry of seizures, criminal charges, and warning letters shows that FDA is increasing it enforcement of dietary supplement regulations. Good for FDA and good for industry!

FDA on nanotechnology: Size matters, but it's not everything ...

10-Jun-2011 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will take size and functionality into account when it considers whether a product contains nanomaterials or involves nanotechnology, according to a new draft guidance document.

CDC reports no progress on salmonella in 15 years

09-Jun-2011 - The incidence of salmonella has not decreased in 15 years – and has increased by 10 percent in recent years, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Coca-Cola VitaminWater class action to go to mediation

07-Jun-2011 - A class action lawsuit brought against Coca-Cola by advocacy group The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) over Coke’s VitaminWater range is set to go to mediation, FoodNavigator-USA has learned.

E. coli outbreak ‘has not affected the US food supply’, says FDA

06-Jun-2011 - In an exceptional move, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement on the E. coli outbreak gripping Europe, telling American consumers that they do not need to alter their shopping habits.

News in brief

Firms should review insurance cover in wake of FSMA, say lawyers

03-Jun-2011 - Food manufacturers should review insurance policies to ensure they have adequate cover in the event of a product recall as new food safety legislation comes into force, lawyers have warned.

Bakers: FSMA compliance costs ‘simply not justified’

31-May-2011 - The American Bakers Association (ABA) is preparing to file a petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking it to exempt storage facilities for packaged foods from stringent hazard analysis and preventive control requirements in new food safety legislation.

Rosemary extract suppliers claim some rivals are misleading manufacturers

30-May-2011 - Several rosemary extract suppliers have attacked some competitors who they claim are failing to comply with recently enforced EU labelling laws.

News in brief

Hershey’s and Mars drop trademark infringement case

27-May-2011 - Hershey’s has dropped a trademark infringement case against Mars, in which it had accused the rival candy maker of using packaging for Dove peanut butter Promises similar to that of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

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.

Consumer groups sue FDA over antibiotics in animal feed

26-May-2011 - A coalition of consumer advocacy groups has filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), claiming it has failed in its legal responsibility to address overuse of antibiotics in animal feed.

House Republicans propose $285m in FDA cuts

25-May-2011 - House Republicans have proposed a $285m cut to FDA funding in fiscal 2012, 11.5 percent less than 2011, although the agency is seeking additional funds to pay for new food safety legislation.

Major league sugar players join ‘corn sugar’ lawsuit

24-May-2011 - Five companies and two trade organizations have joined a lawsuit against members of the corn refining industry in an attempt to stop them from claiming that high fructose corn syrup is a natural corn sugar.