Critical supply chains are finally “normalizing” after the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted transportation and slowed production, triggering bottlenecks and driving up inflation to 40-year highs, according to a White House report card...
Legislation reintroduced yesterday could add another layer of oversight – and office – for food safety at FDA as the agency reimagines and tries to repair what many consider a broken review system for the nation’s food supply.
Sustainability and future-proofing the food system
Improving the sustainability of the food system is no longer optional from an optics and long-term business perspective, but short-term challenges – including consumer engagement – threaten immediate and mid-range returns and margins, complicating the...
While the cultivated meat industry has overcome significant upstream processing and regulatory hurdles in the past year, new market research suggests startups still face notable downstream food manufacturing challenges that could place them – along with...
Snac International’s annual Legislative Summit - taking place on 6-7 June in Washington, DC - will address pressing key policy issues that are shaping the snack food industry.
Apple juice with more than 10 parts per billion of inorganic arsenic along with other factors could trigger enforcement action by FDA, the agency warned yesterday in guidance finalized ten years after it first proposed the limit.
Sustainability and future-proofing the food system
With between a quarter and a third of human caused greenhouse gas emissions linked to food production and climate change intensifying to a point that its impacting how, where and when key crops are grown, improving sustainability in the food system is...
The US Department of Agriculture should help farmers and ranchers better manage climate change risks and step-up oversight of federal assistance programs, including future reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines benefits under the Supplemental...
The US Department of Agriculture promises to shoulder more of the cost for farmers and ranchers transitioning to organic and develop additional processing and aggregation facilities to ease supply chain bottenecks holding the organic industry back from...
New Culture is preparing to launch its vegan mozzarella in early 2024 with more cheese options in the near future, after $25m in series A funding last fall.
A trio of trucking bills passed by the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week are a “step in the right direction” to further repair and reinforce fragile food supply chains threatened by an ongoing severe driver shortage, according...
As “New York City’s most famous vegan,” Mayor Eric Adams’ reflected on his administration’s plant-forward initiatives in the city’s 11 hospitals and surrounding public schools during the opening reception of the Vegan Women Summit at the Mayor’s Mansion...
Unit sales of plant-based dairy products are sliding even as dollar sales are up in most categories as inflation-related price hikes simultaneously cushion companies’ margins and discourage some consumers from trying new products and paying premium products....
‘Allergen advisory statements are not a substitute for … good manufacturing practices’
A draft compliance policy guide published in today’s Federal Register outlines how FDA plans to enforce major food allergen labeling and the risk of cross-contact, but does not directly address the unintended consequences of the recent addition of sesame...
A lack of transparency around 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee members' affiliation with industry trade groups and multinational brands sparked scrutiny by public health advocates after last week's committee meeting.
Between consumer desire for a more sustainable food system, growing momentum behind extended producer responsibility legislation and – of course – a desire to do the right thing, many CPG manufacturers are exploring more environmentally friendly packaging....
During the American Frozen Food Institute’s (AFFI) Government Action Summit on May 9-10, leaders and executives in the frozen food industry met with Congressional representatives and staff to discuss the potential reorganization of the FDA’s food division...
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) revealed during a wide-ranging meeting May 10 that it will prioritize eating patterns during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence as well as review the dietary reference intakes for macronutrients and energy....
The US Supreme Court’s decision Thursday to uphold California’s ban of pork that does not meet its heightened animal welfare standards simultaneously is being hailed as a “watershed moment” by animal rights activists and condemned by producers and their...
The cost of canned food and products could increase by 30% and upwards of 40,000 US manufacturing jobs could be cut if the International Trade Commission greenlights a proposal to impose hefty tariffs on imported tinplate steel from eight countries, argues...
The Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy (AFSP) urges Congress to make “reasonable targeted changes to the US sugar program” to help lower food prices, reinforce supply chains and make American businesses and farmers more competitive on the global playing field.
FDA is reopening the comment period for draft guidance on labeing plant-based milk at the request of several stakeholder groups, but comments already submitted reveal a wide rift between dairy and plant-based players about how best to describe non-dairy...
Sugar reduction policies and programs in New York City and Berkeley, Calif., could serve as public health templates for cities across the country, according to experts gathered at the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s (CSPI) Sugar Reduction...
The delegation hosted policymakers, regulators and media on Capitol Hill this week to discuss the future of plant-based ingredients and cell-cultured meat production through “diversified, innovative agricultural tools and foods that utilize technological...
The biotech firm has become the first company to get the green light from Israeli regulators for its precision fermentation-derived milk protein, paving the way for a new breed of dairy alternatives to land on the market.
While most consumers are willing to buy animal-free dairy made with precision-fermentation, a sizeable portion are either unsure or unwilling to try it – revealing a potential stumbling block that if left unaddressed could be just as damning for the nascent...
Day one of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Sugar Reduction Summit centered around the organization’s sugar reduction initiatives for all food and beverage categories, aligning with USDA and the New York Department of Hygiene and Mental...
The Federal Trade Commission should update its “Green Guides” to clarify the proper use of climate change claims, such as “net zero” and “carbon negative,” which have proliferated in recent years to meet rising consumer interest, but which are not standardized...
A new partnership between the US Department of Veteran Affairs and the Rockefeller Foundation will test the impact of fresh fruits and vegetables on veterans’ health, and could help build the business case for more health care systems and insurers nationwide...
Sales of plant-based dairy, including milk, cheese and yogurt, continue to grow at a rapid clip despite challenging macroeconomic and market conditions, but units in some categories are dipping slightly, according to recently released SPINS data, raising...
Bipartisan legislation reintroduced in the Senate this week could “unlock the imperative data” CPG companies need to meet longstanding sustainability goals, including using more recycled content and less virgin material in their packaging, according to...
Discussions between FMI – The Food Industry Association’s Government Relations Committee and lawmakers will surround Farm Bill reauthorization, food safety regulations and credit card competition, among others on April 19, 2023.
In a controversial move that could have a ripple effect for food and beverage manufacturers nationwide, California Assembly’s Committee on Health approved AB 418 -- bringing the state one step closer to potentially banning brominated vegetable oil, potassium...
The Federal Trade Commission should withdraw or “at the very least narrow the scope of its proposed ban on non-compete agreements” to exclude those between businesses and executive-level or “highly skilled workers,” urges FMI, The Food Industry Association....
Popular fruit-on-the-bottom and cup-set yogurt styles can remain on the market in the US after FDA late last week amended the yogurt standard to eliminate a controversial titratable acidity requirement at the behest of the International Dairy Foods Association.
The raft of letters puts advertisers on notice that they should avoid deceiving consumers by making product claims that cannot be substantiated–or face hefty fines.
The International Dairy Foods Association says lowering the amount of dairy products offered as part of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program would mean participants would get fewer essential nutrients.
Citing numerous studies that suggest Red Dye No. 3 could be carcinogenic, The Center for Science in the Public Interest and a coalition of 23 other associations want FDA to remove the color from its list of approved additives in foods, dietary supplements...
Cell-based food producers, regulators and stakeholders should proactively and transparently address safety concerns about their products and processes now – before they hit the market – or else risk losing in the court of public opinion, cautions the...
Restructuring FDA to create a new human foods program that elevates the safety and oversight of the US food supply will not adequately address the concerns outlined in the Reagan-Udall’s audit of the agency without a significant boost in funding and dedicated...
The proposal is intended to provide more flexibility for foods with standards of identity where salt is a required or optional ingredient, and “facilitate industry innovation to reduce sodium in standardized foods,” the agency stated.
Food-tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods’ plant-based, whole-muscle seafood made through biomass fermentation will launch in select restaurants this summer thanks in part to an infusion of $5.5 million in seed funding led by Stray Dog Capital announced this...
A new initiative led by the IDFA suggests that leading milk processors including Danone North America and Dairy Farmers of America are prepared to adhere to a lower added-sugars limit for flavored milk in order to continue to offer their products in US...
While many industry stakeholders laud FDA’s efforts to reduce lead in baby food and products for children under 2 years old, they question the logic behind the tolerable levels proposed by the agency in draft regulation and want additional guidance on...
Products making dietary guidance statements should contain a meaningful amount of the featured ingredient or food category and not exceed certain amounts of saturated fat, sodium and added sugar, according to FDA’s draft guidance for industry on questions...
Even as cellular meat companies continue to clear regulatory, technical and scientific hurdles, the timeline for when their products will launch remains a moving target as emerging challenges – ranging from the banal to black swan events – threaten to...
It is too soon to give up on the plant-based meat segment, which has seen sales and household penetration slip in the past year, but which is evolving to meet demand for products that are healthier, tastier and more convenient, argued industry stakeholders...
The plant-based market continues to grow at a rapid clip despite a notable slowdown from the double-digit gains in the first year of the pandemic, but to maintain and regain some of the segment’s momentum, the Plant Based Foods Association argues stakeholders...
Does the legislation have legs or is it just for optics? Stakeholders agree the bills are a step in a positive direction, but what impact they will have, if any, is yet to be seen.
