FDA
FDA cool to USDA push to regulate GE livestock
Commissioner Stephen Hahn cited the FDA's role in approving a genetically modified pig for food and biomedical use — "a tremendous milestone for scientific innovation" — at the same time that his agency has been coolly neutral on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue's proposal to have the USDA take over regulation of GE livestock.
A bid for the USDA, not FDA, to regulate GE animals for food
In a move celebrated by the hog industry, the Trump administration proposed on Monday to put the USDA in charge of regulating genetically engineered livestock and poultry, a duty now performed by the FDA. The Biden administration would make the final decision on the transfer of power since it will take office before the end of the 60-day comment period on the proposal.
FDA approves genetically modified pig for food and medical use
FDA must study what happens if GMO salmon escape, says judge
A federal judge in San Francisco ordered the FDA on Thursday to take a new and stronger look at the potential consequences on native salmon if AquaBounty's fast-growing GMO salmon escaped from fish farms and established itself in the wild.
Characteristics of cell-based meat matter for labeling, meat lobby says
U.S. and Mexico broaden food safety partnership
More growers, less hemp in industry slowed by uncertainty, pandemic
The first year of nationwide cultivation of industrial hemp has been a mixture of retrenchment and optimism for growth in the longer term. "The industry isn't going to go away," said hemp entrepreneur Morris Beegle on Thursday. "It's going to become more of a whole-plant industry."
White House cites USDA ‘poison pills’ in threat to veto $260 billion spending bill
The White House listed five dozen objections to parts of a $260 billion government funding bill, including bans on implementing two Trump regulations to narrow SNAP eligibility, on Thursday, and threatened a presidential veto. As the House debated the appropriations bill, Republican senators worked on coronavirus relief legislation expected to include billions of dollars of new agricultural assistance.
Cut back on sugar and alcohol, recommends U.S. diet panel
Americans should halve their consumption of added sugars, and men should limit themselves to one drink a day, said a panel of experts helping the government update its advice on healthful diets. The advisory committee report, published on Wednesday, is expected to provide the scientific foundation for a new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, scheduled for publication late this year.
FDA may gain power to order drug recalls
The House Appropriations Committee voted on Thursday to give the Food and Drug Administration the power to order the recall of unsafe prescription and over-the-counter drugs rather than having to ask manufacturers to recall the products voluntarily. The language was added to the $153-billion USDA-FDA funding bill for fiscal 2021, which was approved by voice vote and now goes to the House floor for debate.
House panel votes to block two Trump rules restricting SNAP access
Label low- and no-calorie sweeteners, says sugar group
The Sugar Association, which describes itself as "the scientific voice of the U.S. sugar industry," petitioned the FDA on Wednesday to require clearer labeling of foods that contain alternative low- and no-calorie sweeteners. The FDA has six months to respond to the petition.
USDA’s keep-it-open power extended to fruits and vegetables
The USDA and the FDA have agreed that the USDA can use its authority under the Defense Production Act to tell foodmakers, including fruit and vegetable processors, to operate during a coronavirus outbreak at their facilities. The directions could override decisions by state or local health officials. <strong>(No paywall)</strong>
FDA eases nutrition labeling rules for restaurants clearing inventory
To facilitate the distribution of food during the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants and food manufacturers will be temporarily allowed to sell packages of food that lack the Nutrition Facts label normally required for retail sale, said the FDA on Thursday. <strong>(No paywall)</strong>
FDA mulls ‘risk-based’ approach to CBD products
Americans are consuming the cannabis derivative cannabidiol (CBD) in food, beverages, and supplements, and dosing their pets with it as well, but "there is still much that we do not know about ... potential risks," said FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn on Thursday.
Balance safety, innovation in gene-edited animals, says FDA chief
Gene editing has enormous potential to improve health and food production, but innovation must be governed by well-rooted standards of safety and effectiveness, said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. "The agency is a trusted global regulator and we are committed to overseeing this space in a manner that fosters innovation, protects consumer confidence and protects the public health."
FDA won’t endorse CBD as ‘generally recognized as safe’
In a potential blow to the hottest-selling hemp product, the FDA said it "cannot conclude that CBD (cannabidiol) is generally recognized as safe among qualified experts for its use in human or animal food" because a lack of scientific evidence. The warning came as USDA gathers public comment on a rule that opens the way for nationwide cultivation of industrial hemp in the new year.
Trump chooses cancer doctor to lead FDA
Dr. Stephen Hahn, a hospital executive and cancer specialist, is President Trump's choice for FDA commissioner, said the White House. Hahn had been rumored for the post for weeks. But in a surprise, Health Secretary Alex Azar said FDA's interim leader, Ned Sharpless, would return immediately to his previous post of director of the National Cancer Institute because he had hit a statutory time limit of 210 days for service as an acting agency chief.
Trump picks Kennedy, vaccine skeptic, for health secretary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will head the Department of Health and Human Services in the new administration, said President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to public health,” said Trump in announcing the nomination.