While Americans scramble to stock their pantries amid the growing threat from COVID-19, many more cannot afford to do so – prompting some economic analysts and public health leaders to call on legislators to increase the benefits available under the Supplemental...
An ad-hoc partnership between FMI-Food Industry Association, the International Foodservice Distributors Association, United Produce Association and National Fisheries Institute aims to help overwhelmed grocery retailers keep shelves stocked, stores clean...
In a teleconference held last night the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it is scaling back GMP inspections and is waiving certain FSMA requirements in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.
A controversial USDA proposed rule to “simplify” school meal standards by allowing less fruit, fewer whole grains and less diverse vegetables to be served at breakfast and lunch could negatively impact students’ academic performance and health, according...
Before the threat of COVID-19 prompted Washington, DC, and other US cities to ban large gatherings, nearly 900 school nutritional professionals from across the country converged on the Nation’s capital to brainstorm how vulnerable children can continue...
The FTC is revisiting its Endorsement Guides and seeking public comment on what changes might be needed as it initiates an enforcement action on health claims made by influencers.
By Hank Schultz, Elaine Watson and Elizabeth Crawford
A report on CBD delivered by FDA Commissioner Dr Stephen Hahn, MD, was seen by food and dietary supplement industry stakeholders as offering little hope of a timely regulatory solution for the ingredient.
Confronted almost daily with images of marine debris filling the bellies of dead whales, headlines about climate change and emerging stories about America’s broken recycling system, consumers increasingly are worried about single-use plastic and packaging...
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and the Good Food Institute (GFI) have urged Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to veto a bill that would limit the use of the term ‘milk’ on food labels – even if used with qualifiers such as ‘dairy-free/plant-based’...
Creating an entirely new product or launching a business may feel impossible at times, especially when so-called experts say something can’t be done, but according to the co-founders of Hidden Gems Beverage Co. anything is possible with the right network...
FDA Commissioner Dr Stephen Hahn, MD, in a speech on Wednesday, said that despite its continued concern about insufficient safety data, the FDA has no plans to try to shut down the CBD markets. Hahn said that would amount to a “fool’s game.”
Whole grain consumption among kids (aged 5-19 years) has been steadily increasing over the past 15 years, surpassing whole grain consumption at home, according to research from USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) and the University of Georgia.
The consumer packaged goods industry may be composed of diverse companies offering disparate products ranging from toothpaste to pet food to canned soup, but a recent survey conducted by the Consumer Brands Association reveals 86% of CPG leaders place...
The number of class action filings against food and beverage companies rose 8% to 177 in 2019, with firms vulnerable to legal action on a host of fronts, from animal welfare claims and CBD to vanilla labeling, says law firm Perkins Coie.
A high-profile lawsuit* accusing LaCroix of falsely advertising its wares as 100% natural has been dropped with both parties agreeing to cover their own costs after the plaintiff retracted her allegations. A second lawsuit** vs LaCroix over the same issue...
Don Lee Farms has filed a 3rd amended complaint vs Beyond Meat, accusing it of doctoring a food safety consultant’s report and sharing trade secrets with Don Lee's rivals to help them “actively solicit” to replace Don Lee as Beyond Meat’s co-manufacturer...
Miyoko’s has gone on the offensive in a dispute with the State of California over the use of the term ‘butter’ on a plant-based product, suing state agriculture officials for violating its First Amendment rights by demanding the offending term be removed...
In what critics are calling an unrealistic, “cruel” and even “savage” effort to reduce the national deficit by $4.4 trillion over the next decade, President Trump proposes in his FY 2021 budget deep funding cuts for several safety-net programs, including...
In a motion to dismiss a lawsuit* filed in California accusing it of selling ‘illegal’ CBD-infused products, PlusCBD Oil maker CV Sciences deploys multiple arguments: no one was harmed; plaintiffs lack standing to seek label changes; the case is pre-empted...
Purveyors of acacia gum suffered a setback last week as the FDA concluded that they had not (yet) presented sufficient evidence to prove that the ingredient should be classified as a dietary fiber on food labels.
Researchers with the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity are calling on US regulators to severely restrict advertising for toddler milks and strengthen labeling requirements for the products after long-term market analysis revealed a significant...
Beyond Meat has hit back at former co-manufacturer Don Lee Farms after experiencing further setbacks in its legal dispute with the firm, which alleges it wrongfully terminated a supply contract, telling reporters that, “We simply couldn’t get Don Lee...
The FDA has promised to provide more clarity over CBD “in the coming weeks.” But how should brands navigate the regulatory minefield in the meantime, and what options does the agency have?
The Natural Products Association has attempted to get out ahead of a potential issue for the industry by asking federal authorities to monitor dietary supplement companies claiming to treat coronavirus infections.
The Consumer Brands Association (formerly known as the Grocery Manufacturers Association) has launched an advisory board to provide “thought leadership and strategic oversight for the industry as it moves forward in seeking appropriate regulation of CBD.”
Emboldened by a recent court ruling in Florida that stayed a CBD-related class action on primary jurisdiction grounds (ie. putting the case on ice until the FDA weighs in), multiple brands hit with similar lawsuits are now pushing for stays and referencing...
To better reflect the rapidly evolving grocery retail landscape – and the increasingly complex and interconnected supply chain – FMI is adopting a more inclusive position and rebranding with the new tagline ‘The Food Industry Association.’
Following a lengthy investigation to determine who is behind STONEY PATCH (THC-infused candies sold in packaging that bears a striking resemblance to kids’ candy brand SOUR PATCH) Mondelēz Canada Inc. has named four defendants in a trademark infringement...
Two proposals characterized by the US Department of Agriculture as giving schools “additional flexibilities” around the food they serve students and as a solution to food waste in cafeterias are, according to public health advocates, “a step in the wrong...
An analysis of recent warning letters underscores the notion that FDA is focused its enforcement efforts on CBD, and is not targeting hemp extracts per se.
Packed lunches from home have typically been considered the healthier alternative to meals provided by the school cafeteria, but a recent study found that bringing lunch from home doesn’t always mean a child is eating a nutritionally-balanced meal.
Despite all the buzz around CBD and the near steady stream of product launches across food and beverage categories featuring the ingredient, the majority of Americans have not heard of the ingredient, never used it or have no interest in it, according...
Ben & Jerry’s (old) packaging states that it uses “milk & cream from happy cows,” acknowledges the company in a motion to dismiss a high-profile false advertising lawsuit over animal welfare. But it “doesn’t use the word ‘exclusively’.”
Building on a regulatory foundation already laid for hemp ingredients, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) has proposed a bill that would include CBD under the definition of dietary supplements found in DSHEA.
From the complexities of regulation and cutting-edge science to the brands behind the boom, the CBD Global Summit will bridge the business and science underpinning this fast-moving category.
The FDA has granted a citizen petition* requesting that glucomannan (found in the root of the elephant yam, also known as the konjac plant) be added to the list of ingredients classified as dietary fiber on US food and supplement labels.
If a beverage contains 25g of added sugar and describes itself as ‘just a tad sweet,’ is it misleading shoppers? In the absence of a legal definition of terms such as ‘low sugar’ or ‘lightly sweetened,’ the courts have delivered mixed opinions on lawsuits...
The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program has released a bulletin on olive oil adulteration that shows that the issue, though widely acknowledged, continues to plague the market.
CBD is the fastest-growing category in supplements and bodycare in Fresh Thyme Farmers Market stores, increasing average basket spend in the category and attracting new shoppers, says the Midwest retailer. However, sales growth is slowing as the category...
Baby food made using biodynamic and regenerative agriculture practices is becoming increasingly important to US consumers as parents become more aware, and wary, of things that don't make it onto product labels such as glyphosate residue.
A coalition of doctors, academics, and American consumers called the Low-Carb Action Network (LCAN) is urging US nutrition leaders to include a low-carb diet as part of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).
By Rachel Arthur, Elaine Watson, Niamh Michail, Gary Scattergood, Flora Southey
Sugar taxes continue to hit the headlines, so we take a spin around the globe to look at some of the markets where taxes have been introduced or are under debate.
An interim federal government funding measure does not include language creating a legal pathway for hemp/CBD products, despite advocacy on the part of stakeholders including lawmakers and trade organizations.
