FDA
USDA embraces hemp as a crop, but many hurdles remain for growers
Will high risks on industrial hemp bring high rewards?
Industrial hemp faces more regulatory and legal hurdles than many other newly hatched industries, says a report from agricultural lender CoBank. While growth in the industry is driven by cannabidiol (CBD), widely available in foods and as a supplement, two other markets hold potential: the fiber and the grain and seed sectors.
FDA warns against CBD products while working on regulations
Senate vs. House confrontation looms over relocating ERS and NIFA
Bright hopes, uncertain pace for industrial hemp
The 2018 farm bill legalized the production of industrial hemp and farmers are clearly interested in a potential new cash crop, but many obstacles must be overcome before the industry can take root, said lawmakers and federal regulators on Thursday.
Green light for gene-edited animals? Maybe.
Put USDA in charge of gene-edited livestock, says hog industry
White House calls for light regulation of low-risk gene-edited crops and livestock
House USDA-FDA spending bill delays hog slaughter rule, blocks ERS/NIFA move
FDA to delay ag-water rule until 2022
The FDA will soon announce a two-year delay on a rule setting water-quality standards for large produce farms, said Frank Yiannas, the agency’s deputy commissioner for food safety, on Thursday.
As USDA and FDA agree on oversight, aggies rail against ‘fake meat’
In a step that moves a new industry closer to commercial reality, the premier federal food-safety agencies agreed on Thursday on how to jointly regulate cell-based meat, a laboratory-grown protein that farm groups call “fake meat.” The FDA will oversee cell collection and growth, while the USDA will oversee harvesting and processing, and have final say over labeling.
GAO urges more government attention to food safety
Congress may need to intervene to assure the high-level coordination of food safety efforts, said the Government Accountability Office on Wednesday in a report listing three dozen “high-risk” areas throughout the government.
USDA will proceed slowly on industrial hemp
The 2018 farm bill legalized industrial hemp production, but it is likely to be 2020 before the USDA produces the regulatory framework for the new crop, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Wednesday.
Traceability a ‘critical piece’ of the food safety network, says the FDA
In a look back at last November’s recall of romaine lettuce, the FDA says that although “one farm cannot explain the entire outbreak,” it is now able to identify potential sources of E. coli contamination by using technology that can track foods from field to consumer.
Gottlieb announces ‘significant modernization’ for FDA regulation of dietary supplements
On the same day the FDA warned companies against hawking dietary supplements for Alzheimer's disease, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced "one of the most significant modernizations of dietary supplement regulation and oversight in 25 years." Three out of every four Americans take dietary supplements regularly, contributing to an industry worth more than $40 billion.
USDA opens local offices for three days to work on existing farm loans
About half of the USDA’s local offices will be open for three days, beginning Thursday, to deal with existing farm loans and provide tax documents to farmers and ranchers. USDA employees will not consider applications for new loans, the new dairy support program, disaster relief, or Trump tariff payments.
House passes USDA-FDA funding bill that GOP says is doomed by shutdown
On Thursday, in a test of partisan resolve, the Democratic-controlled House passed, on a nearly party-line vote of 243-180, a funding bill to reopen the USDA and FDA. With the exception of essential work such as meat inspection, both agencies have been shuttered since late December by the partial government shutdown.
Sales of antibiotics for livestock drop 41 percent as result of FDA efforts
Sales of medically important antibiotics for use in food animals are down by 41 percent in two years as part of the FDA's campaign to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics. "We hope this downward trend will continue," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on Tuesday. "These reductions are an indication that our ongoing efforts to support antimicrobial stewardship are having a significant impact."