FDA
USDA gets bigger role in GMO preemption bill
The sponsors of a House bill to prevent states from requiring special labels on GMO foods are considering a new version that would put the USDA in charge of certifying if foods are made from genetically modified organisms or not. The bill, filed by Mike Pompeo of Kansas and GK Butterfield of North Carolina, would keep labeling voluntary at the federal level.
White House releases five-year plan on antibiotics
The Obama administration released a five-year "national action plan" to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In a blog, the secretaries of Health, Agriculture and Defense say it is "a whole-of-government approach" built around slowing the spread of resistant bacteria; better surveillance to detect resistant bacteria; development of rapid tests to guide treatment of infections; more research into new antibiotics and alternative treatments; and expanded international health work.
FDA finalizes veterinary-feed directive at antibiotic forum
Obama administration officials announced a final version of the FDA's veterinary-feed directive at a Forum on Antibiotics Stewardship at the White House today. The rule, an update of a 2000 directive, was proposed in December 2013 as the agency began steps to require veterinary approval for use of medically important antibiotics to treat or prevent disease in food animals. The FDA is halfway through a voluntary phase-out of the use of medically important antimicrobials as growth promotants in livestock.
Antibiotic use in livestock to rise by 67 percent by 2030
Livestock farmers around the world will use nearly 106,000 tonnes of antibiotics by 2030, an increase of 67 percent in two decades, a team of scientists estimated.
Catfish inspection may be tougher than U.S. producers expect
As the USDA moves closer to catfish inspection, domestic producers "may have received more than they bargained for," reports the New York Times, which quotes a handful of experts.
Medically important antibiotics – bulk of sales for livestock
Some 14.8 billion kilograms of antibiotics were sold or distributed for use in food animals in 2013 and six of every 10 kg were classified as medically important antimicrobials, said the FDA. The government aims to reduce that ratio to maintain the efficacy of antibiotics to treat human illness. The agency launched a three-year drive in 2014 to end the use of antibiotics as a growth promotant. "This summary report reflects sales and distribution information from the year prior" to the campaign, the FDA said.
Menu-labeling rules are not clear enough, senators tell FDA
Members of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee said FDA rules on calorie labels for restaurant and take-away foods are overly broad. The rules are scheduled to take effect on Dec. 1.
Bitter battle over listing “added sugars” on food packages
Foodmakers are in "a lobbying frenzy" over the administration's proposal to have the Nutrition Facts label on food packages include how much sugar was added during processing, reports the Los Angeles Times.
FDA finds few violations of drug residue rules for milk
Tests of milk from 2,000 dairy farms found almost all the samples -- more than 99 percent -- were free of drug residues, said the FDA in a constituent update.
McDonald’s opts for no-antibiotic chicken, no-BST milk
The largest U.S. restaurant chain, McDonald's, announced a two-year plan to stop serving chicken raised with medically important antibiotics at its 14,000 outlets. "Our customers want food they feel good about eating -- all the way from the farm to the restaurant," said McDonald's U.S. president, Mike Andres, in a statement. The environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council said the announcement was "a big step forward" in efforts to prevent over-use of antibiotics and...
Bill would curtail medically important antibiotics in livestock
A newly filed Senate bill would require the FDA to withdraw its approval of the use of medically important antibiotics in food animals unless drugmakers show there is no risk to human health.
USDA expects action soon on catfish inspection
Deputy of Agriculture Undersecretary Al Almanza told lawmakers the White House is likely to release in April a long-delayed regulation to put the USDA in charge of catfish inspection, says Agri-Pulse.
Doubts about White House proposal for single food agency
Three weeks after the White House proposed a central agency for food safety, the proposal "is already running into opposition from some food safety experts, consumer groups and the inspectors who would be most affected.
Non-browning biotech apple gets USDA approval
The Agriculture Department approved cultivation of two apple varieties that are genetically engineered to resist browning. Developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc., the apples will be marketed as Arctic Granny and Arctic Golden.
Mercury levels rise in ocean fish
A paper published online in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry says the concentration of mercury in yellowfin tuna "currently is increasing at a rate of at least 3.8 percent per year."
Obama plan gives food safety to HHS, ends USDA meat role
President Obama has proposed creating a new agency at the Health and Humans Services Department that would consolidate the food-safety activities of FDA and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. "The new agency would be charged with pursuing a modern, science-based food safety regulatory regime drawing on best practices of both agencies, with strong enforcement and recall mechanisms, expertise in risk assessment, and enforcement and research efforts across all food types based on...
FDA Commissioner Hamburg says will leave agency in March
Margaret Hamburg, head of the FDA for six years, says she will step down as commissioner at the end of March. She announced the decision in a letter to employees, in which she praised the FDA's accomplishments...
Obama seeks $1.2 billion to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria
"The Obama administration wants to double the amount of federal funding dedicated to combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria," says the Washington Post, based on comments from White House officials in advance of the fiscal 2016 budget request.