FDA
Head of Center for Veterinary Medicine to leave FDA
Bernadette Dunham, the director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine, said she will leave the FDA in April to join a collaborative One Health initiative between George Washington University and the FDA.
A sticky subject – maple syrup that isn’t from maple trees
U.S. and Canadian maple syrup producers asked the FDA to stop food companies from selling products that claim to contain maple syrup when it isn't the real thing, says CBC. Maple syrup is made by boiling down sap from maple trees, while others are diluting the product with corn syrup.
FDA plans to test for glyphosate residues on food
The most widely used weedkiller worldwide, glyphosate, will become a subject of pesticide residue testing by FDA for the first time, says Civil Eats.
GE salmon and FDA’s next commissioner
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she is willing to stall a Senate vote on the nomination of Robert Califf as FDA commissioner "until he and FDA agree to mandatory labeling requirements for the AquAdvantage salmon," reports the Washington Post.
Campbell Soup supports mandatory GMO food labels
One of America's best-known food companies, Campbell Soup, said it "will advocate for federal legislation that would require all foods and beverages regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be clearly and simply labeled for GMOs." With the decision, Campbell is the first major foodmaker to support mandatory nationwide labeling.
Dietary Guidelines put spotlight on added sugars
For the first time, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a limit on consumption of added sugars - no more than 10 percent of daily calories. The language is part of "key recommendations" in the 2015-2020 Guidelines and is in step with a World Health Organization guideline. "There's a huge opportunity here," said an HHS official because 13 percent of calories in the American diet are added sugars; as much as 17 percent for children and teenagers.
FDA approves GE chicken to produce human drug
GE salmon a long way from US dinner plate despite FDA approval
For the first time, the FDA has approved the sale and consumption of a genetically engineered animal, the AquAdvantage salmon developed by a Massachusetts company. Although FDA approval is a signal achievement for the biotechnology industry - the first GE crops went on the market in 1996 - it could be years before fillets or steaks from the fast-growing salmon are sold in supermarkets.
FDA asks how to define “natural” on food labels
Beginning today, FDA will accept suggestions through Feb 10 on whether the government should define the word "natural" on food labels and if it does, what it should mean. FDA said it requested comment because of three petitions asking for it to define "natural" and a citizen petition saying it should ban the word from food labels.
California is first state to regulate antibiotics in livestock
Overuse of antibiotics in livestock is "an urgent public health problem," Gov Jerry Brown said in signing a law that makes California the first state to regulate antimicrobials administered to food animals. The new law is stricter than FDA's ongoing phase-out of medically important antibiotics to promote weight gain by cattle, hogs and poultry but won’t come into play as soon. "The science is clear that the overuse of antibiotics in livestock has contributed to the spread of antibiotic resistance and the undermining of decades of life-saving advances in medicine," Brown said. "SB 27 addresses an urgent public health problem."
Obama selects FDA newcomer Califf as next commissioner
President Obama selected Robert Califf, a new arrival in FDA's senior ranks, to become the next commissioner of the agency that regulates products that account for 20 percent of consumer spending.
Average retail egg price is more than double what it was a year ago
Supermarkets are advertising eggs at an average $3.13 a dozen for Large white eggs Grade A or better - more than double the price of a year ago, says the USDA's weekly National Retail Report. "The weighted average price of Grade A or better Large white eggs continues to trend sharply higher to record levels," says the report. The national average price a year ago was $1.41 a dozen.
FDA updates rules on disease prevention in food and feed
The Obama administration issued two rules, applying to food and feed, that require companies to analyze weak spots in their operations and implement plans to prevent contamination of their products. The so-called preventive-control rules are the first of seven that the FDA is writing under the 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act.
A chicken that doesn’t pass along bird flu … but it’s GMO
British researchers have genetically engineered a chicken that is less susceptible to bird flu than other chickens and that does not infect its flockmates. "But these promising chickens ... won't likely gate-crash their way into poultry production any time soon," says Reuters.
Sharp jump in recalls of organic food products
Organic food accounts for 7 percent of all food units recalled this year, compared to 2 percent in 2014, according to Stericycle, a company that handles recalls, reports the New York Times.
Drugmakers oppose FDA proposal on antibiotic reporting
The veterinary pharmaceutical industry strongly opposes an FDA proposal to collect more details about antibiotic use in livestock, said Agri-Pulse.
The replacements for trans fats ‘have their own problems’
The FDA's announcement of a three-year phase out of most uses of trans fats, usually present in foods as partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), may not be the end of the story, says Time. The replacements for PHOs "have their own problems."
Dems say farmers need help to comply with FSMA rules
Fourteen Democrats in Congress asked the FDA to help small farmers comply with new food safety laws due next spring, said The Hill newspaper.