FDA
Antibiotics for livestock up 16 percent in three years
Livestock producers boosted their use of antibiotics by 16 percent from 2009-12, federal data indicated. More than 60 percent of sales and distribution of antimicrobials approved for food animals in 2012 were medically important antibiotics that are central to a campaign against the rise of drug-resistant disease and infections in humans.
Brown vetoes antibiotics bill, says “more needs to be done”
California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a proposed first-in-the-nation state law to reduce antibiotic use in livestock and told legislators, "More needs to be done to understand and reduce our reliance on antibiotics." In his veto message, he said state agricultural officials would work with lawmakers to find "new and effective ways to reduce the unnecessary antibiotics used for livestock and poultry."
FDA offers cash for Salmonella detection test in fresh produce
The Food and Drug Administration offered $500,000 in prizes for potential breakthrough ideas on how to detect Salmonella bacteria in fresh produce. "Concepts must be able specifically to address the detection of Salmonella in minimally processed fresh produce, but the ability of a solution to address testing for other microbial pathogens and in other foods is encouraged," said FDA. It is the first time FDA has run a cash prize contest. Entries are due by Nov 9.
FDA re-opens docket on fresh-produce safety rule
Responding to extensive public comment, the Food and Drug Administration revised a proposed rule on safety standards for growing, harvesting, packing and holding fresh fruits and vegetables. In a Federal Register notice today, FDA said it would accept public comments until Dec 15 on the several provisions it identified for change. The rule initially was proposed last year.
White House steps up action on antibiotic-resistant bacteria
President Obama directed the government to combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with the Agriculture Department taking a major role. The executive order signed by Obama also told FDA to eliminate agricultural use of medically important antibiotics as growth-promoting agent. The agency started work on that point in December with drugmakers given three years to make the transition. Agriculture is commonly believed to buy 80 percent of antibiotics annually.
Poultry firms use more antibiotics in feed than thought
After examining feed tickets for five major poultry companies, Reuters says U.S. poultry producers "are administering antibiotics to their flocks far more pervasively than regulators realize, posing a potential risk to human health." The FDA launched an initiative last year to end the practice of mixing small amount of antibiotics into livestock rations to encourage food animals to gain weight.
Foodmakers to share info on food additives with FDA
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, a trade group for foodmakers, "will give the Food and Drug Administration access to a large database of safety information for chemicals used in processed foods, from Twinkies to almond milk," says Politico.
Shun tuna, eat fish lower in mercury, says Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports magazine urged pregnant women to avoid eating tuna and suggested consumers should consider 17 species of seafood that are low in mercury, which can have damage the brain and nervous system if over-consumed.
A honey of a regulation
The government set a 30-day comment period "on how a federal standard of identity for honey would be in the interest of consumers, the honey industry and U.S. agriculture."
UN agency sets limit for arsenic in rice
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, the UN's food standards body, adopted a maximum allowable level for arsenic in rice of 0.2 milligrams per kilogram during a meeting in Geneva. Arsenic occurs naturally at high levels in soil and groundwater in some parts of the world. Rice, a staple food for hundreds of millions of people, absorbs more arsenic than other crops. Long term exposure can cause cancer and skin lesions as well as other ailments.
Former FDA chief calls for front-of-box nutrition summary
Besides overhauling the Nutrition Fact label on food packages, the FDA should mandate a summary of nutritional information on the front of the box, said former FDA commissioner David Kessler. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Kessler says such a label would list "the top three ingredients, the calorie count, and the number of additional ingredients...in bold, easy-to-read type."
US and Japan to meet on agriculture market access
U.S. and Japanese officials are to discuss agriculture market access issues this week in Tokyo. Market access has become a major obstacle to a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement involving...
Netherlands cuts deeply the use of antibiotics in livestock
Gerbert Oosterlaken, a Dutch hog farmer, says in a Modern Farmer story, “I don’t need to take antibiotics every day. There’s no reason my pigs should either.”
Senate panel backs school lunch flexibility, not waivers
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted for flexibility in operating the school lunch program, a marked contrast to a House bill to allow waivers for some schools from the reforms written into a 2010 law. Conservatives say the reforms, which require more grains, fruits and vegetables in meals and less sugar, salt and fat, are too costly.
Canada to phase out nonmedical antibiotic use in livestock
Health Canada announced a three-year phase-out of subtherapeutic use of antibiotics in food animals, a step that parallels U.S. action.
FDA approves irradiation for shellfish
The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of irradiation to kill pathogens in shellfish. In a step requested by the National Fisheries Institute, FDA said there are no health risks so the process can be used...
Pompeo, Butterfield unveil GMO pre-emption bill
Reps Mike Pompeo of Kansas and GK Butterfield of North Carolina will unveil a bill today to set a federal standard for labeling genetically engineered foods and block states from adopting labeling laws of their own.
GMO labeling bill finds a House sponsor
Kansas Rep Mike Pompeo will sponsor a bill backed by foodmakers to pre-empt state labeling law on genetically modified food, Politico says.