The Netherlands and Sweden have issued a discussion paper arguing that labeling food with “best before” dates results in unnecessary food waste and that European Union (EU) requirements should be adjusted to allow some foods to be sold without them. The paper, which Germany, Denmark, Austria, and Luxembourg also back, echoes a report published in April 2014 by the U.K.’s House of Lords EU Committee urging the development of “aspirational targets for each level of the supply chain” to reduce food waste in Europe. According to the European Commission (EC), up to 100 million metric tons of food are wasted each year in Europe, and a 2013 report from the London based Institution of Mechanical Engineers found that 30 to 50 percent of food on shelves is wasted, possibly due to poor understanding of “best before” and “use by” dates. The EC said that it is examining possible avenues of…
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According to a new Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) report titled “Label Confusion: How ‘Humane’ and ‘Sustainable’ Claims on Meat Packages Deceive Consumers,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) fails to verify the accuracy of label claims on most meat and poultry products sold in the United States. The report suggests that food label claims used on millions of meat packages lack “any apparent verification, and AWI has asked USDA to require independent third-party certification. Noting that the use of animal welfare and sustainability claims has increased dramatically during the past decade as consumers become more aware of—and concerned about—the well-being of animals raised for food and the purported negative impacts of animal agriculture on the environment, AWI contends that the public’s interest in these claims makes them ripe for exploitation. During the past three years, AWI researched the USDA approval process for 25 animal welfare and environmental claims, such as…
Despite its seven-year investigation into jerky pet treats that may have killed more than 1,000 dogs and left thousands more ill, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “has still not been able to identify a specific cause for the reported illnesses or deaths.” According to an FDA news release, as of May 1, 2014, the agency had received more than 4,800 complaints of illness in pets that ate jerky treats made of chicken, duck or sweet potato. In its ongoing efforts to find a cause for the illnesses, FDA has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct a study to determine whether sick dogs eat more jerky treats than healthy dogs do. Studies of the jerky treats revealed the presence of the antiviral drug amantadine, but “FDA does not believe that amantadine contributed to the illnesses because the known side effects or adverse effects associated…
U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) have sent a letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg expressing “significant concern” about the agency’s use of draft guidance to, in their view, make “substantive policy changes.” Noting that draft guidance is “increasingly becoming default FDA policy” although it is issued for comment purposes only, the letter expresses a number of concerns, including that (i) FDA’s website does not differentiate between draft and final guidance; (ii) draft guidance is not revised, finalized or withdrawn in a timely manner; and (iii) the agency issues guidance that “does not take into account, or may even conflict with, the scientific community.” Specifically, the senators request that FDA provide a list of all Level I draft guidances, including the date issued and the timeline on which the agency plans to withdraw, revise or finalize each guidance,…
U.S. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have introduced a bill that would end a tax subsidy for the marketing of food and beverages of poor nutritional quality to children. The “Stop Subsidizing Childhood Obesity Act” would also shift the money saved from eliminating the tax credit to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides fruit and vegetable snacks to elementary school students in low-income schools. Under the current tax code, companies can deduct marketing and advertising expenses from their income taxes. “Our nation is facing a childhood obesity crisis that demands our urgent attention, and one effective way of combating this epidemic is to ensure that our children are not confronted by persistent advertising from soda, snack, and candy makers,” said Harkin. “Given the enormous public health costs associated with childhood obesity, our bill promotes healthier lifestyles.” Sen. Blumenthal said, “This measure makes…
Researchers at Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences have purportedly found that edible films made from pullulan—a transparent polymer produced by the fungus Aureobasidium pulluns, silver nanoparticles, zinc oxide, and oregano and rosemary essential oils—can inhibit foodborne pathogens on meat products. Mohamed K. Morsy, et al., “Incorporation of Essential Oils and Nanoparticles in Pullulan Films to Control Foodborne Pathogens on Meat and Poultry Products,” Journal of Food Science, April 2014. Observing that the films inhibited the growth of four pathogens: Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7—to varying degrees, the researchers concluded that they could form “the basis of a useful packaging tool to improve the safety of meat products.” According to Penn State University Food Science Professor Catherine Cutter, who co-authored the study, the edible films are a “novel but effective way” to deliver antimicrobial agents to meats because the bacteria-killing action lasts longer than the liquid applications traditionally used. “The results from…
Harvard researchers have found that staple crops grown in environments with levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) similar to the levels expected in 2050 had less zinc, iron and protein than crops grown at current CO2 levels. Samuel S. Myers et al., “Increasing CO2 threatens human nutrition,” Nature, May 2014. The researchers conducted field trials of 41 strains of wheat, rice, maize, and soybeans grown in seven locations on three continents, elevating the CO2 levels from the current average of about 380-390 parts per million (ppm) to the expected levels in 2050 of 545-585 ppm. The wheat, rice and maize grown at the higher CO2 levels each had about 5 to 10 percent less zinc, iron and protein, while soybeans lost similar amounts of zinc and iron but maintained current levels of protein. The precise biological reason for the declines remains unclear, but researchers reportedly said that the nutrient reduction could…
A recent review has reportedly identified several flaws in the widely cited 1970s study which found that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids could help fight coronary artery disease (CAD). George J. Fodor et al., “‘Fishing’ for the origins of the ‘Eskimos and heart disease’ story. Facts or wishful thinking? A review,” Canadian Journal of Cardiology, April 2014. In the original study, Danish researchers examined the diet of Greenland Eskimos and linked the high amount of fish oil to the purportedly low incidence of CAD. A team of researchers has reexamined the original study as well as more recent studies on the Eskimo population and found that Eskimos actually suffer CAD at the same rate as Caucasians. The 2014 study identifies several reasons why the original study’s source for CAD rates in the Greenland Eskimos—the annual reports produced by the Chief Medical Officer of Greenland—were likely insufficient, including poor reporting…
A recent study has claimed that children consume more artificial food colors (AFCs) than previously thought, raising concerns about potential health effects not addressed by federal guidelines. Laura Stevens, et al., “Amounts of Artificial Food Dyes and Added Sugars in Foods and Sweets Commonly Consumed by Children,” Clinical Pediatrics, April 2014. In addition to reporting the AFC content of individual brand-name foods and beverages, Purdue University researchers ultimately calculated that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certified 62 mg of AFCs per capita per day in 2010, up from 12 mg per capita per day in 1950. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), these levels of AFC consumption “are higher than the levels demonstrated in some clinical trials to impair some children’s behavior.” “In the 1970s and 1980s, many studies were conducted giving children 26 mg of a mixture of dyes,” one study author was…
Drink mixes intended to replace meals altogether have garnered attention from the media recently as part of a larger trend of “lifehacking,” a cultural Silicon Valley export that aims to streamline daily life obligations. A recent New Yorker article by Lizzie Widdicombe profiles Rob Rhinehart, creator of Soylent, a drink mix that purports to provide all the daily nutrients that a human needs. The concoction includes lipids from canola oil, carbohydrates from maltodextrin and oat flour, protein from rice, fish oil from omega-3s, and doses of magnesium, calcium and electrolytes. Rhinehart, who says that he has drunk Soylent for 90 percent of his meals in the past year and a half, describes Soylent not as a meal replacement like many diet mixes currently on the market but rather as a food substitute that a person could subsist on alone. The first 30,000 units of commercially produced Soylent shipped to customers…
