Regulation

24-Apr-2012 - Four individuals who allegedly conspired to scrape mould off returned imported cheese before resale have been indicted in the US on charges that could see them jailed for up to 20 years.

North American food safety authorities target substandard imports

24-Apr-2012 - US and Canadian food safety authorities have laid out plans to ensure the quality and safety of imported foods – publishing mirror-image campaigns within days of each other.

News in brief

Canadian government to strengthen food import regulations

23-Apr-2012 - The Canadian government has said it intends to develop new food import regulations in collaboration with industry, as part of its Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan.

FDA says nanotechnology may need greater scrutiny

23-Apr-2012 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued new draft guidance on the use of nanotechnology in food and cosmetic products, encouraging manufacturers to consult with the agency before taking products using the technology to market.

News in brief

Congress members urge USDA to ‘educate consumers’ on LFTB safety

20-Apr-2012 - Thirty members of Congress have called on the USDA to “correct the public record and educate consumers about the safety of lean finely textured beef (LFTB)”.

Reportable Food Registry has helped target inspection activities, FDA says

20-Apr-2012 - The Reportable Food Registry has helped the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) target its food safety strategy and increase the speed with which it has been able to take action, according to a new FDA report reviewing activity during the online reporting tool’s second year.

FDA food safety fees will ‘user fee the industry to death’ – food safety law firm

20-Apr-2012 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will “user fee the industry to death” through the proposed implementation of further food firm fees, food safety law specialist FDAImports.com has claimed.

Nanotech regulation ‘may become more nuanced in light of experience’, says Hamburg

20-Apr-2012 - FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg has reiterated the agency’s decision not to adopt a definition for nanotechnology, although she said its approach “may become more nuanced in light of experience”.

Improper nutrient content claims cited in new wave of class action suits

19-Apr-2012 - With class action lawsuits alleging labeling violations now “filed almost daily in California”, food manufacturers are spending “hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and settlement amounts” to resolve cases that are entirely avoidable, according to one leading food law attorney.

Subway to FDA: Don’t penalize firms that are ahead of the game on sodium reduction

18-Apr-2012 - If the government plans to set sodium reduction targets for food categories it should take into account progress already made by ‘proactive’ firms or risk unfairly penalizing companies that have taken the initiative, Subway has warned.

Consumers groups (again) petition FDA to refuse ‘corn sugar’ moniker for HFCS

18-Apr-2012 - A coalition of consumer groups has written to the FDA urging it to “act decisively” and refuse the Corn Refiners Association’s petition to allow ‘corn sugar’ as an alternative name for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on ingredient lists.

Attorney in Muscle Milk lawsuit: ‘You can’t just whip-up a blend of saturated fat and fractionated oil, and slap a ‘healthy’ label on it’

17-Apr-2012 - Both sides are claiming victory in a legal dispute over Muscle Milk nutritional bars and beverages after a federal judge ruled a false advertising lawsuit could proceed but dismissed most of the claims made by the plaintiff.

‘Tuna scrape’ recalled after Salmonella Bareilly outbreak sickens 116

17-Apr-2012 - A US fish processor is recalling nearly 60,000 pounds of frozen ‘tuna scrape’ after the product was linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly that has sickened 116 people across 20 states.

Star-K adds non-GMO certification to its kosher and organic audits

17-Apr-2012 - Star-K Kosher Certification has begun providing triple inspections to certify plants and products as non-GMO, organic and kosher, which it says can save companies time and money on individually conducted inspections.

California fish processor suspends production under FDA agreement

16-Apr-2012 - A California-based seafood processor has agreed to halt the production and distribution of its fish and fish products over Listeria monocytogenes contamination fears, under an agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Tate & Lyle: Our sucralose technology ‘cannot be matched’ for yield and sustainability

12-Apr-2012 - Tate & Lyle’s continuous production process for sucralose trumps rivals’ in the efficiency and sustainability stakes, while patents covering key elements of the new process “go out well into the next decade”, according to IP boss Chris Darwen.

Canada to overhaul meat inspection rules

10-Apr-2012 - The Canadian government has announced a “substantive” overhaul of meat inspection rules, saying the move will help smaller companies gain access to the wider market, without affecting food safety.

News in brief

OJ shipments denied entry to US as carbendazim block continues

10-Apr-2012 - A Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-imposed block on carbendazim-tainted orange juice and concentrate has seen a further three shipments denied entry into the US – taking the total to 30.

Energy drink or supplement? Enforce your own guidance, says Sen Durbin to FDA

06-Apr-2012 - The row over the legal line between liquid dietary supplements, conventional beverages and energy drinks hit the headlines again this week with Senator Dick Durbin calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce its own guidance.

ConAgra to FDA: There is ‘ample evidence’ to support qualified health claim on whole grains and type II diabetes

05-Apr-2012 - ConAgra Foods says there is “ample scientific evidence” to support a qualified health claim about whole grain consumption and a reduced risk of type II diabetes.

PepsiCo targeted in new class action lawsuit over ‘improper’ nutrient content claims

04-Apr-2012 - PepsiCo is facing another class action lawsuit in California – this time accusing it of making a nutrient content claim (0 grams trans fat) on Frito-Lay snacks, without adhering to the legal conditions of use for such claims.

Expanded food safety-related records access will 'weed out' uncooperative firms - SGS

03-Apr-2012 - A ruling that will see the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) gain extended access to food industry records will “weed out” those companies that have not been cooperative during food safety incidents in the past.

FDA files injunction to halt fish processing operations over botulism fears

03-Apr-2012 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is attempting to halt production and distribution at a California fish product company over botulism and listeria contamination fears.

FDA rejects call to ban bisphenol A but continues safety research

02-Apr-2012 - US federal authorities said they dismissed a call from the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) Friday to ban bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging because the petition failed to provide concrete scientific evidence the chemical posed a health risk.

No more US feta or salami? Generic food names under threat, claims new consortium

29-Mar-2012 - The use of generic food names like parmesan cheese, bologna, feta, provolone, and salami could be under threat, claims the Consortium for Common Food Names, a newly formed alliance seeking to prevent naming restrictions for international producers.