Regulation

16-Aug-2010 - A federal judge ruled on Friday that genetically modified (GM) sugar beets should not be planted or processed until the US Department of Agriculture has carried out a thorough assessment of their impact on other crops.

Senate food safety bill edges toward vote

13-Aug-2010 - Lawmakers released a bipartisan agreement on the Senate’s food safety bill on Thursday, signaling that it is likely to be debated in the Senate when it reconvenes in September.

Beverage, confectionery makers respond to Child Nutrition Act

09-Aug-2010 - The Child Nutrition Act has been broadly welcomed by the food and beverage industry, following its unanimous passage through the Senate late last week.

Comment

Is cloned food legal? Europe must decide, and fast

09-Aug-2010 - Big oops. Meat and milk from the offspring of cloned animals has entered the UK food chain. Cue scary headlines and scared consumers. But the leviathan of EU-lawmaking means no-one actually knows if it’s legal or not. And that’s an even bigger oops.

Almond growers given go-ahead to challenge pasteurization law

04-Aug-2010 - A federal appeals court has ruled that organic almond growers can challenge a law requiring mandatory pasteurization of almonds intended to reduce risk of salmonella contamination, overturning a previous decision.

News in brief

USDA considers ‘natural’ rules for chicken

03-Aug-2010 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering new rules for the labeling chicken as ‘natural’, after objections from some producers about salt-water injected chicken being promoted as such.

Feds go after repeat offender food processor

03-Aug-2010 - US federal authorities are seeking a permanent injunction against a New York food processor for a host of violations over a four-year period.

Base voluntary front-of-pack labeling on calories, say confectioners

03-Aug-2010 - The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has said it favors voluntary listing of calories front-of-pack rather than introducing a scale or rating system, in comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Comment

Energy drink makers must do more to protect children

02-Aug-2010 - Energy drinks makers risk a regulatory clamp down if they fail to take action on marketing campaigns that irresponsibly target young consumers.

News in brief

New York State bans bisphenol A

02-Aug-2010 - New York State has become the latest US state to ban bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials.

FDA hails Reportable Food Registry success

29-Jul-2010 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has collected 125 food safety reports through its Reportable Food Registry in its first nine months of operation, the agency has said.

Medical journal editors urge energy drink rethink

27-Jul-2010 - An editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) has called for more regulation and initiative from industry to protect children from the potential health threat posed by energy drinks.

Coca-Cola fails to dismiss Vitaminwater lawsuit

26-Jul-2010 - Coca-Cola is to face a lawsuit challenging the health claims on its Vitaminwater drinks, after a US federal judge denied the firm’s request to have the lawsuit dismissed.

PureCircle gains FDA GRAS for Reb D and F

21-Jul-2010 - Major stevia player PureCircle has won a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) letter of no objection from the Food and Drug Administration for a blend it is aiming at products seeking partial sugar and calorie reduction.

Opinion

Functional foods at a crossroads

19-Jul-2010 - Do functional foods work?

Class action may follow FTC-Nestlé settlement

15-Jul-2010 - Nestlé was not dealt a financial penalty in its settlement this week with the Federal Trade Commission over immunity health claims being made for some of its probiotic products, but a class action is possible, says a food attorney.

China reduces minimum protein levels to combat melamine

15-Jul-2010 - China has lowered minimum protein levels in raw milk in the country’s latest effort to stamp out the use of melamine in the dairy industry.

Obama says new food safety legislation would promote prevention

09-Jul-2010 - President Obama has said that passing the Food Safety Modernization Act would provide government with the tools it needs to better ensure food safety, as long-awaited discussion began in the Senate this week.

Kids see more fast food adverts, fewer for sweets

09-Jul-2010 - American children now see less TV advertising for confectionery products, but more for fast food, according to a new study that recommends continued monitoring of marketing practices and food company pledges.

Wrigley to pay millions over misleading gum claims

07-Jul-2010 - Mars-owned Wrigley will pay consumers up to $7m after settling a class action that challenged its right to claim its Eclipse gum was, "scientifically proven to help kill the germs that cause bad breath".

USDA seeks industry comments on Codex standards

07-Jul-2010 - The US Department of Agriculture’s Office of Food Safety (OFS) has said it is seeking comments on the standards-setting activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

USDA says soda tax would reduce obesity

06-Jul-2010 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added its voice to the debate on soda tax and the prevalence of overweight and obesity, saying that a 20 percent price increase would make a significant difference.

FDA urges phasing out of antibiotics in meat

30-Jun-2010 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has produced draft guidelines for reducing the use of growth-promoting antibiotic drugs for meat-producing animals, saying it contributes to drug resistance in humans.

News in brief

DOT drops proposed peanut ban on planes

28-Jun-2010 - The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has dropped a proposal it made last week to ban peanuts on planes due to potential allergic reactions, after realizing that it does not have the power to implement a ban.

Baltimore approves two-cent bottle tax

28-Jun-2010 - Baltimore City Council gave its final approval late last week for a two-cent tax on bottled beverages as part of its $2.2bn budget for fiscal 2011.