Regulation

10-Jan-2011 - New food safety legislation was signed into law last week, increasing the urgency for food companies to update their food safety plans, according to a new report from PwC US and Leavitt Partners.

FDA reveals final phase of Transparency Initiative

07-Jan-2011 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unveiled the third and final stage of an initiative intended to improve the transparency of its rulemaking process with the industries it regulates.

Agriculture Secretary calls for ‘new paradigm’ of cooperation in GM debate

05-Jan-2011 - USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has called for compromise and cooperation between supporters of genetically modified (GM) crops and those of non-GM crops in an open letter to stakeholders.

Obama to sign food safety bill today, but funding still in doubt

04-Jan-2011 - President Obama is set to sign new food safety legislation into law later today, despite ongoing uncertainty about how it will be funded.

USDA to require Nutrition Facts on meat and poultry

03-Jan-2011 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said it will require nutrition labels on the 40 most popular raw meat products from January 1, 2012, including the number of calories and grams of total fat and saturated fat.

GM sugar beet destruction on hold – again

23-Dec-2010 - A San Francisco appeals court has put on hold until February 28 a previous court order to destroy genetically modified (GM) sugar beets being grown to provide seed for the 2012 crop.

GAP praises inclusion of whistleblower protections in food safety bill

23-Dec-2010 - The Government Accountability Project (GAP) has praised the inclusion of whistleblower protections in the food safety bill, which is expected to be signed into law by President Obama early in the New Year.

Congress passes food safety reform

22-Dec-2010 - In the wake of a spate of high-profile foodborne illness outbreaks, the Food Safety Modernization Act passed the House on Tuesday and is heading to the President, who has said he will pass the bill into law.

US food industry welcomes Senate passage of food safety bill

21-Dec-2010 - Industry and consumer groups have welcomed the Senate passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act late on Sunday, after the bill had been stuck in legislative limbo for well over a year.

Last-minute move revives Food Safety Modernization Act

20-Dec-2010 - The US Senate unanimously passed the Food Safety Modernization Act late on Sunday, sending the bill back to the House where it is expected to pass before moving to the President’s desk.

DeLauro reintroduces single food safety agency legislation

17-Dec-2010 - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has reintroduced legislation intended to create a single agency focused solely on overseeing the safety of the US food supply.

Dannon on FTC settlement: “Our claims remain intact”

16-Dec-2010 - Dannon says its year-long negotiations with the Federal Trade Commission that resulted in a $21m settlement and modifications placed on its health statements, has not altered the core claims for its multi-million dollar selling probiotic yoghurts.

News in brief

Child nutrition bill becomes law

14-Dec-2010 - President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 into law on Monday, after it passed the House last week with a vote of 264-157.

Destruction of GM sugar beet crops delayed

14-Dec-2010 - An appeals court has delayed the destruction of genetically modified (GM) sugar beet crops until December 23 to give the court time to decide whether they should be uprooted, as ordered by a recent ruling.

House passes food safety bill back to Senate

10-Dec-2010 - The Food Safety Modernization Act has been passed back to the Senate following its approval by the House on Wednesday as part of a much larger bill detailing government funding.

FDA reviews phytosterol health claim expansion

10-Dec-2010 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to expand the variety of foods enriched with phytosterols that can carry a health claim linking the ingredients to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

News in brief

Washington State candy and soda tax repealed

07-Dec-2010 - A Washington State tax on candy, soda and bottled water expired on December 1 as a result of 62 percent of voters approving Initiative 1107 in November.

Monsanto to appeal court-ordered destruction of GM sugar beets

03-Dec-2010 - Monsanto has said it will appeal a federal court’s decision issued on Tuesday ordering the destruction of genetically modified (GM) sugar beets.

Congress passes child nutrition legislation

03-Dec-2010 - Congress gave final approval to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 on Thursday, passing the House with a vote of 264 to 157.

Federal judge orders destruction of illegal GM sugar beets

02-Dec-2010 - A federal court judge has ordered the destruction of genetically modified (GM) sugar beets planted in September, saying that they were planted in contravention of a previous court decision.

House could still prove stumbling block for food safety bill

01-Dec-2010 - After major foodborne illness outbreaks in spinach, eggs and peanut products, the Food Safety Modernization Act passed the US Senate on Tuesday, but it could still reach an impasse in the House.

Comment

Local food doesn’t mean safe food

23-Nov-2010 - All food, if not properly handled, has the potential to cause foodborne illness – so why does local food get special legislative treatment?