An ISO technical committee focusing on nanotechnology issues has developed a technical report (ISO/TR 12885:2008) that provides “advice for companies, researchers, workers and other people to prevent adverse health and safety consequences during the production, handling, use and disposal of manufactured nanomaterials.” Titled Health and Safety Practices in Occupational Settings Relevant to Nanotechnologies, the report “is expected to be widely adopted as a foundation for national nanotechnology occupational safety and health programs around the world,” according to the project leader, who also serves as special assistant to the director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ISO is an international standard-setting organization that brings together experts from around the world to establish technical standards that are often adopted by the governments of member states; each national delegation develops its positions in consultation with all potentially affected stakeholders. The group that developed this report is ISO/TC 229, Nanotechnologies, Working Group…
Category Archives Issue 287
In late December 2008, Mexico banned imports of meat from 30 U.S. processing facilities, telling the USDA that sanitary issues were to blame, although some, including Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), suggested that the move was in retaliation for the new country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules that took effect September 30. Mexican officials denied any connection and reportedly lifted the embargo for 26 of the plants as of December 30. According to a news source, Mexico is the leading buyer of U.S. meat, and the suspension led to a sharp decline in cattle and hog futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. U.S. and Mexican officials were reportedly scheduled to meet January 5, 2009, to discuss meat import issues. Meanwhile, Mexico has reportedly joined Canada before the World Trade Organization seeking consultations with the United States over the COOL regulations. The two countries are apparently most concerned about the impact on meat and livestock,…
FDA has reportedly detected the industrial chemical melamine and its byproduct cyanuric acid in additional cans of U.S.-manufactured infant formula, but stressed that the levels are below the safety threshold set for young children and infants. Four of the 89 infant formula products tested by FDA contained trace amounts of melamine or cyanuric acid, which are used during the manufacturing process as disinfectants and in some food packaging. FDA and other food safety experts have apparently stated that this trace contamination most likely occurred during processing and not as the result of intentional adulteration. See Food & Water Watch Blog, January 5, 2009; The Associated Press, January 7, 2009. Meanwhile, Chinese courts started criminal trials for six cattle farmers and milk collectors accused of making melamine protein powder and adding it to raw milk sold to Chinese dairies, including the government-owned Shijiazhuang Sanlu Group Co. Sanlu recently declared bankruptcy as a…
FDA this week issued a final rule requiring food and cosmetic manufacturers to declare the presence of cochineal extract and carmine in their products. Derived from dried insect bodies, the two coloring agents were previously labeled under “artificial colors” or “color added” on ingredient lists. “This final rule responds to reports of severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis to cochineal extract-containing food and carmine-containing food and cosmetics and will allow consumers who are allergic to these color additives to identify and thus avoid products that contain these color additives,” according to FDA, which requires full compliance with the rule by January 5, 2011. See FoodNavigator-USA.com, January 6, 2009. Meanwhile, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has criticized the final rule for failing to indicate the extracts’ insect origins. The consumer advocacy group first petitioned FDA in 1998 for more stringent labeling of cochineal and carmine, citing their widespread…
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach traveled to Costa Rica this week to open an HHS/FDA office that will serve Latin America in the hope of improving collaboration on food and product safety issues. Plans for the new office were apparently launched in June 2008, when health ministers from Central America and Panama gathered in El Salvador to develop a framework for ensuring the trade of quality goods among the countries. Similar HHS/FDA offices are already operating in Brussels, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and other offices will open in two cities in India and a location in the Middle East. The stated goal of the HHS/FDA “Beyond Our Borders Initiative is to foster collaboration with regulatory authorities around the world, as well as to forge partnerships with industry on the safety of food, animal feed, drugs and medical devices.” See HHS Press Release,…
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