The Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency has reportedly unveiled draft guidelines that would ask food manufacturers to voluntarily disclose the trans fat content of their products. Intending to finalize the guidelines by the end of 2010, the agency has called for labeling that indicates the amount of trans fat per 100 grams or per meal. The guidelines not only reflect the mandatory measures taken by other countries, but apparently aim to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. According to The Japan Times, “The agency is also considering legislation to make these kinds of food labeling mandatory.” See The Japan Times, October 9, 2010.
Category Archives Issue 368
Environment Canada has published a final order adding bisphenol A (BPA) to Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999 (CEPA 1999), a move that will make it easier for agencies to regulate the substance. “The Government of Canada has a strong record of taking action on Bisphenol A to protect the environment and health of Canadians,” stated Environment Minister Jim Prentice in an October 13, 2010, press release. “We are continuing our leadership on this issue and Canadians can rest assured that we are working hard to monitor and manage Bisphenol A.” Claiming that BPA exposure “can result from dietary intake, environmental media, use of consumer products, and other sources,” the final order adopts “a precautionary approach” based on animal and human studies that allegedly showed the potential for neurobehavioral and developmental effects in newborns and infants. The order also notes environmental concerns, citing evidence “that exposure to…
ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, has announced the formation of a subcommittee to develop standards for nanoparticle-enabled consumer products, such as goods that contain nanoscale silver. The new “Subcommittee on Nano-Enabled Consumer Products” (E56.06) will be part of “Committee 56 on Nanotechnology,” established in 2005 to develop standard terms, toxicity test methods, workplace handling guidance, and other voluntary standards for organizations working with nanoengineered materials. ASTM seeks subcommittee members with expertise in analytical chemistry, measurement methods, textiles, consumer product safety, exposure assessment, and environmental chemistry. They will “develop standards for determining the presence of engineered nanomaterials in consumer products and understanding the potential for exposure from the use of these consumer products.” Planned projects include standards for measuring and evaluating the form of silver in textiles and liquids and standards for assessing nanosilver exposure potential from use of textile and liquid consumer products. See…
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has released the first phase of its report on front-of-package (FOP) rating systems and symbols for food products and recommends that the nutrients of greatest concern to consumers—calories, saturated fats, trans fat, and sodium—as well as serving size, should be highlighted, with calorie-count and serving-size information displayed prominently. According to IOM, “The inclusion of total calories is one way to emphasize the importance of calories in the diet and may help consumers identify lower calorie foods and track the number of calories consumed, . . . [while] serving size information may help consumers better visualize realistic serving sizes and put that portion into context with the other foods and beverages they are consuming.” Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the report, titled “Examination of Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols: Phase 1 Report,” examines and compares…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reportedly considering addressing toxins in drinking water by regulating them in groups, rather than continuing to address them contaminant-by-contaminant, and has identified nitrosamines as one of the first groups that could be subject to the new paradigm. Other groups under consideration are pesticides, volatile organic compounds and chlorinated disinfection byproducts. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson apparently proposed taking this approach earlier in the year, and the agency conducted a number of workshops over the summer to gauge stakeholder support. InsideEPA.com obtained a draft discussion paper from a September 2010 meeting; it details a number of ways toxins can be grouped, including (i) similar effects on human health and the environment, (ii) similar water treatment options, and (iii) occurrence similarities, i.e., likely to occur with other chemicals in the group. Drinking water industry officials have apparently expressed concerns with EPA’s proposal to address nitrosamines in the…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced five grants geared toward researching, developing and implementing sodium-reduction strategies. Totaling $1.9 million, the grants “will support policy strategies to create healthier food environments and help reduce sodium intake for a three-year funding period,” stated CDC, which identified the grantees as California (working with Shasta County); Kansas (working with Shawnee County); Los Angeles County; New York City; and New York state (working with Broome and Schenectady counties). The agency specifically cited studies indicating “that on average U.S. adults consume more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day,” with an estimated 77 percent of this intake coming from “processed and restaurant foods.” According to CDC, each funded project will implement “at least one major sodium reduction policy as well as evaluation activities” that build on existing community policies “to improve nutrition and lower blood pressure.” Such activities could include “working…
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to Chiquita Brands International, Inc. indicating that the company is violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by misbranding several of its pineapple products. According to FDA, because Pineapple Bites with Coconut® is made with a coconut-flavored spray, the product’s statement of identity and ingredient statement are false and misleading and should instead be identified as containing “coconut flavor.” The labeling also apparently states that the product contains antioxidants but does not include the names of the nutrients that are the subject of the claim. FDA further contends that the products include the claim “Plus Phytonutrients.” Because no recommended daily intake or daily recommended value has been established for phytonutrients, such nutrient content claims are not authorized, according to the agency. The products also apparently include the statement “Only 40 calories,” which FDA says implies that the products…
U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has introduced a bill (H.R. 6325) that would require labeling for food that contains genetically engineered (GE) animal products. The Consumer Right to Know Food Labeling Act of 2010 would amend the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and Meat Inspection Act to compel the disclosure of product ingredients derived from cloned animals or their progeny. It would also mandate labeling for food products that contain GE salmon. In addition to providing for civil penalties and citizen suits in the event of misbranded food, the bill would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop and implement a recordkeeping audit trail applicable to “any person that prepares, stores, handles, or distributes a cloned product for retail sale.” “A recent Food & Water Watch survey revealed that 78 percent of Americans do not want genetically-engineered salmon to be approved and made available…
Researchers with the University of Massachusetts Food Science Department have reportedly developed a technique to create transparent, food-grade nanoemulsions using high-pressure homogenization methods. Cheng Qiana and David Julian McClements, “Formation of Nanoemulsions Stabilized by Model Food-Grade Emulsifiers using High Pressure Homogenization: Factors Affecting Particle Size,” Food Hydrocolloids, October 2010. According to the study, “Nanoemulsions are finding increasing utilization in the food and beverage industries for certain applications because of their unique physicochemical and functional properties: high encapsulation efficiency; low turbidity; high bioavailability; high physical stability. “ Because the nanoparticles can be made transparent, the new technology could act as a delivery system “for non-polar functional components, such as lipophilic bioactive lipids, drugs, flavors, antioxidants, and antimicrobial agents.” In a related development, a European non-profit media agency specializing in science and technology news has issued a summary that characterizes how NGOs have responded to nanotechnology. Citing Greenpeace Research Laboratories, Friends of the Earth,…
An international research consortium has released a study that identifies 18 new gene sites linked to overall obesity and a related report that pinpoints 13 new gene sites connected to fat distribution. Published in the October 2010 online edition of Nature Genetics, the studies relied on data from approximately 250,000 participants to gain an understanding of why some people are susceptible to obesity. Researchers reportedly concluded that people with more than 38 genetic variants linked to increased body mass index were 15 to 20 pounds heavier than those who carried fewer than 22 of the variants. In the fat-distribution study, researchers found women were more inclined to have genetic variants that predicted fat development in the hips and thighs rather than the abdomen. Participating researchers told a news source that discovering which genes play a role in obesity could lead to underlying biological processes that could eventually help treat the condition. “If…
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