Food safety and labeling

IFT FIRST 2024

FDA reorganization ushers in era of transparency, safety and collaboration in Human Foods Program

24-Jul-2024 By Deniz Ataman

FDA's major reorganization to house all human food oversight under one program will create a more transparent, safe and collaborative food system, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones said at the IFT FIRST conference in Chicago last...

Sojo Industries receives Series A funding, partners with Schreiber Foods

23-Jul-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Food and beverage automation company Sojo Industries secures $10 million in Series A funding to significantly improve production and supply chain management and lands strategic partnership with Schreiber Foods.

Summer Fancy Food Show

Consumers want cleaner-label, better tasting gluten-free options in more categories

27-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Gluten free may not be as trendy as it once was, but the call-out continues to resonate with consumers as the quality, quantity and variety of products making the claim continue to improve – as showcased by brands across categories at the Summer Fancy...

Beyond sugar, salt, fat: Rethinking ultra-processed foods and reform

27-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee is considering how the industry should approach ultra processed foods (UPFs) – including nomenclature and infrastructure.

Farm to fork: Riverence Provisions’ pivot to packaged foods

11-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Land-based premium trout producer Riverence Provision touts its responsible farming practices to stand out among the competition in grocery stores, where it launched a selection of frozen fish and dips after pandemic-related challenges disrupted its food...

USDA, EPA & FDA sign formal agreement to renew food waste programs

03-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

USDA, FDA, EPA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), signed a formal agreement to renew the Federal Interagency Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste (FIFLAW) to reduce food waste and loss domestically and internationally.

FDA secures approval for Human Foods Program, unifies food safety & policy oversight

31-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) landed approval to launch its long-awaited Human Foods Program, which unifies its food safety and policy oversight into one organization, marking the agency's most significant restructuring in recent history.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Organic advocates ask legislators for funding, market data and research support as Farm Bill negotiations continue

20-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

More than 100 organic industry stakeholders converged on Capitol Hill in Washington last week to lobby for increased funding, continuous improvement for certification standards, access to additional market data and improved coordination for research and...

‘I’ve heard of ultra-processed food, but can’t explain it’: Demystifying UPF confusion

30-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

What ‘ultra-processed food’ means to one consumer may not be what it means to another.

US recycling laws ‘a growing pain point’ for food producers, says FoodChain ID

29-Apr-2024 By Teodora Lyubomirova

With regulators pushing for improved recyclability and reduced packaging waste, how should manufacturers navigate the latest regulations and packaging trends?

FDA requests $7.2bn for FY2025 to unify Human Foods Program, strengthen data infrastructure

22-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

FDA’s total request of $7.2bn for FY 2025, an increase of $341m from the FY 2024 numbers, “will allow the agency to continue to leverage new and emerging technologies,” and unite the Human Foods Program under “a single line of authority,” FDA Commissioner...

US patchwork of additive bans: Will food manufacturers be forced to come up with a different formulation for different states?

09-Apr-2024 By Gill Hyslop

Unsurprisingly, the current state of play in the US is causing deep concern in the food industry: especially for those producers that sell products across multiple states. It's turning into a quagmire to stay ahead of the latest regulatory developments...

Food security: How can we create resilient food systems for the future?

08-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The rise of extreme weather events across the globe is posing a major threat to food security. So how can we create more resilient supply chains to ensure food supplies in the future?

Natural Products Expo West

Expo West: Clean Label Project helps brands align with ‘consumer definition of safety’

26-Mar-2024 By Ryan Daily

As consumer concerns rise over a variety of food ingredients and food additive bans increase, the non-profit Clean Label Project is helping brands make sense of it all, the organization’s executive director Jaclyn Bowen told FoodNavigator-USA in an interview...

Activists petition to remove methylene chloride from common decaf coffee production method amid carcinogen concerns

25-Mar-2024 By Deniz Ataman

A food additive petition submitted by the Environmental Defense Fund, et al is calling on the FDA to remove methylene chloride, among three other solvents, from the most commonly used decaffeinated coffee known as European Method decaf, a move that the...

Pennsylvania proposes food additive ban, NCA says bill lacks 'scientific basis'

22-Mar-2024 By Deniz Ataman

In the wake of California’s Food Safety Act, Pennsylvania is the latest state proposing a ban of several food additives from the food supply, as trade groups like the National Confectioners Association (NCA) are calling into question the law, arguing...

How is the food industry supporting childhood nutrition?

21-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

From infancy through to adolescence, nutrition is essential in ensuring a healthy body and mind for our youngsters. So how can this be achieved and what it the food industry doing to help parents?

Connecticut seeks to ban energy drink sales to children once again, amid caffeine content concerns

08-Mar-2024 By Ryan Daily

Connecticut lawmakers once again seek to ban the sale of energy drinks to consumers younger than 16 years, as regulators and researchers raise concerns about the negative health impact of caffeine.

Assessing safety of food additives from state to the national levels

28-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The recent passage of the California Food Safety Act, which bans several food additives in the state, created a template for other states to introduce similar legislation, warn food toxicologists Craig Llewellyn and James Coughlin during a recent webinar...

What role does frozen food play in reducing food waste?

19-Feb-2024 By Ryan Daily

As the USDA, EPA, and FDA, advance their strategy to reduce food waste, the America Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) is sharing how freezing food can cut down on wasted food and provide consumers with convenient and nutritious food, the organization’s president...

Illinois proposes to ban five food additives

01-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Introduced by Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, the Illinois Food Safety Act (SB 2637) would ban brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, red dye No.3 and titanium dioxide from retail food products -- potentially making it the strictest...

Regenerative agriculture, renewable energy is ‘best path forward’ for reducing Scope 3 emissions

31-Jan-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Upstream and downstream activities that indirectly impact a company’s Scope 3 emissions may be difficult to measure, but a collaborative investment between stakeholders will help improve environmental impacts long-term, Brian Nash, vice president of corporate...

Consumers care about sustainability as long as the claims fit the category, experts say

31-Jan-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Greenwashing around sustainability hurts the growth of important initiatives for the environment, society and animal welfare, but when companies make honest, transparent and science-backed claims about their sustainability, consumer trust is not only...

RegAsk streamlines regulatory compliance for CPG companies via AI

29-Jan-2024 By Deniz Ataman

RegAsk’s digital platform leverages AI to help food and beverage manufacturers remain compliant and competitive “in an ever-evolving regulatory environment,” Caroline Shleifer, CEO, told FoodNavigator-USA.

CRISPR launch aims to future-proof agrifood production

04-Jan-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

CRISPR technology, the gene-editing technology, hones in on food security and sustainability through genetic modification.

FDA downplays impact on US infant formula supply in light of Reckitt/Mead Johnson recall

03-Jan-2024 By Teodora Lyubomirova

The manufacturer recalled more than 670,000 cans of Nutramigen infant formula after a finished product sampled outside the US tested positive for Cronobacter.

NutraCast: Are energy drinks under attack? FoodChain ID weighs in

15-Dec-2023 By Danielle Masterson

As caffeine content in energy drinks climbs to new heights, some countries and retailers are banning the products or imposing age restrictions. In the US and UK, there are no national regulations that ban the sale of highly-caffeinated energy drinks,...

Limiting front-of-pack nutrition labeling to added sugar, saturated fat & sodium could skew potential health impact, stakeholders tell FDA

27-Nov-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Front of package nutrition labeling intended to help consumers select healthier foods and beverages by potentially calling out the amount of added sugar and other nutrients of interest could unintentionally expose children to higher levels of non-nutritive...

Futureproofing the Food System

Watch this week: FoodNavigator-USA’s digital summit explores trends in food-tech, food as medicine and the circular economy

13-Nov-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

This week, join FoodNavigator-USA and stakeholders across the supply chain, including Eat Just, The Hartman Group, Oishii, NotCo, Instacart, NIQ, Consumer Brands Association, FMI – The Food Industry Association, Cargill and more for our three-day Futureproofing...

Insite AI harmonizes retail data into actionable solutions for brands

08-Nov-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Insite AI leverages artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to identify actionable recommendations for brands from data insights, like those provided by Walmart's recently upgraded Luminate data platform, which tracks the behaviors of its...

Unilever unearths regen ag findings for Knorr and Hellmann’s: ‘The time for pilots is over. It’s time to go big’

02-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

The environmental impact results from Unilever’s first set of regenerative agriculture projects in Spain, Italy, and the US have been dug up, with findings suggesting boons for food resilience and environmental sustainability.

How private-label brands are tapping into TikTok trends to win over Gen Z consumers

02-Nov-2023 By Ryan Daily

Private-label brands are tapping into viral TikTok moments to resonate with Gen Z consumers, as many of these shoppers are willing to switch brands, Ansie Collier, global director of innovation at MMR Research, shared during a recent webinar.

How cultivated meat could be the key to avoiding the development of antimicrobial resistance

30-Oct-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

While the ‘routine use’ of antibiotics in animal agriculture is banned in the EU, increasing globalisation can make it difficult to avoid imported meat reared in this way. While the routine use of antibiotics can increase the risk of antimicrobial resistance,...

California Food Safety Act “sets a dangerous precedent,” food policy experts say

24-Oct-2023 By Deniz Ataman

California’s Food Safety Act (AB 418) bans the inclusion of four food additives—propyl paraben, brominated vegetable oil, Red Dye No. 3 and potassium bromate—in food and beverages, a landmark state-wide law highlighting the potentially widening gap between...

Eight crops endangered by climate change

19-Oct-2023 By Oliver Morrison

From staple crops like potatoes and maize, to cash crops for wealthier customers like cocoa and coffee, climate change is having a widespread impact on global agricultural production.

National Association for Convenience Stores

How visual AI can improve operations in retail convenience

17-Oct-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Visual artificial intelligence's role in retail offers a potential solution to streamlining operations in real time, according to Doug New, chief information officer, Nouria Energy and Dr. Bruce Porter, chief science officer, Spark Cognition, who...

Retail Insight tackles food waste for retailers using cognitive technology

12-Oct-2023 By Deniz Ataman

A recent survey by Retail Insight found that 79% of shoppers tried to be more sustainable in their buying habits in the last 12 months, creating an opportunity for retailers to automate their price mark down strategies with the WasteInsight solution,...

California Food Safety Act signed into law, bans four food additives by Jan. 2027

10-Oct-2023 By Deniz Ataman

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California Food Safety Act on Oct. 7, 2023. The statewide legislation, the first of its kind in the US, “will prohibit any food product manufactured, sold, delivered, distributed, held or offered for sale in...

‘Countries are experiencing cascading crises’: FAO climate change chief on food systems transformation in challenging times

25-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

From the COVID-19 pandemic to extreme weather events and war in Ukraine, ‘cascading crises’ are impacting countries across the world. Responsible agri-food practices can help mitigate the impact of these disruptions, suggests Kaveh Zahedi, director of...

Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Health Equity Working Group provides framework for Dietary Guidelines for Americans protocols

14-Sep-2023 By Deniz Ataman

A Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) working group shared this week refined protocols for systematic reviews, food pattern modeling and committee evidence review which will shape the committee’s recommendations for the Dietary Guidelines for...

Stakeholders go to bat over controversial ingredient titanium dioxide

13-Sep-2023 By Danielle Masterson

Less than a year ago, FDA told FoodNavigator-USA that it considers TiO2 to be safe, citing available studies that do not demonstrate safety concerns connected to the use of TiO2 as a color additive.

Sojo Industries rethinks variety pack production via mobile, automated and climate-friendly processes

16-Aug-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Sojo Flight brings the production to brands, contract manufacturers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) by providing a mobile, robotic and climate-responsible solution to the variety pack production space.

Khrone’s Optiswitch 6500 offers manufacturers precise and hygienic solution for filling containers

16-Aug-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Khrone’s capacitance level switch provides food and beverage manufacturers a “minimally invasive solution” where cleanliness, precision and accuracy are essential when filling containers, according to the company’s press release.

IFT First

IFT First: How can nutrition and food science inform each other? Big data may help

09-Aug-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Food science’s role in public health will play a more critical role in addressing increasingly nuanced dietary and nutrition preferences within a diverse and growing population. Big data and personalized nutrition offer solutions to fine tune these preferences...

Kraft Heinz to cut 20% of virgin plastic by 2030 with three-pronged approach to sustainable packaging

02-Aug-2023 By Ryan Daily

Kraft Heinz is doubling down on its ESG-related packaging goals by aiming to reduce its virgin plastic use by 20% by 2030, which is estimated to be more than 100m pounds of plastic, Linda Roman, the company’s head of packaging growth and technology, told...

FDA food traceability measures need specific data standards - FMI

25-Jul-2023 By Lauren Nardella

The Food and Drug Administration offers more information to help the food and beverage industry implement its Food Traceability Rule through the recent release of FAQs, while industry suggests certain data standards could help it meet challenges in compliance.

Opinion

Handling and storage challenges in the food supply chain

20-Jul-2023 By Theo Mizzi

Theo Mizzi, project manager at Inverto UK, discusses handling and storage challenges in the food and drink supply chain and how artificial intelligence can play a role in maintaining integrity during transit.

From shelf to screen: Maximizing retailers' private label potential with digital and physical labels

13-Jul-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Private label is expected to expand its presence in retailers as 80% of industry executives reported increasing investment for the next two years with a focus on label transparency through digital touchpoints both in-store and digitally, according to...

FTC seeks to crack down on fake reviews in the digital age

10-Jul-2023 By Danielle Masterson

The Commission noted the proliferation of generative AI will likely make it easier for bad actors to write fake reviews. However, the FTC's plan to impose hefty fines may be enough to deter deceptive practices.

Will AI make human roles obsolete? Three major concerns about the use of AI in food production

10-Jul-2023 By Pearly Neo

There are three major concerns about the use of AI in the food industry, with the majority of benefits at present related to market research and advertising strategies – as evidenced by Coca-Cola – according to an industry expert.