The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld three challenges to marketing claims made by Santa Monica, California-based Neurobrands LLC about its line of “Neuro” beverages. Lodged in August 2011 before Commission Regulation (EU) No. 432/21012 established a list of permitted health claims for foods, the complainants argued that the claims appearing on Neurobrands’ website and posters were misleading, unsubstantiated and “misleadingly implied that a widespread vitamin D deficiency in women existed and that the product NeuroSun could treat that deficiency.” Upholding the three complaints, ASA barred the advertisements and advised Neurobrands “to seek advice before making future health and nutritional claims for foods, given the transitional period following the Regulations coming into force.” According to ASA, Neurobrands defended the “mental performance” claim for its NeuroSonic beverage by citing the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) “positive opinions” for caffeine and vitamin B12 with regard to “mental functions,” while noting that…
Category Archives Issue 463
Canadian Governor General David Johnson has approved through royal assent the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA), which aims to improve food safety by focusing on unsafe practices, import surveillance and food traceability. Passed unanimously by the House of Commons, the act consolidates some of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA’s) existing food commodity statutes—including the Fish Inspection Act, Meat Inspection Act, Canada Agricultural Products Act, and Consumer Packaging and Labeling Act—although the Food and Drug Act will continue to provide “overarching protection for consumers from any foods that are unsuitable for consumption, including those marketed exclusively within provinces.” In particular, SFCA expands CFIA’s authority to address food safety risks, deter deceptive practices and develop regulations for tracing and recalling food. The act also gives CFIA the authority to certify all Canadian food commodities destined for export and reinforces import controls by “including powers to register or license importers,” with…
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published an inventory of its activities on bees and bee health as part of a forthcoming report to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. Spurred by a worldwide decline in the bee population, the agency created a task force with expertise in pesticides, animal health and welfare, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and plant health “to provide risk managers with comprehensive advice in the area of bee health.” In compiling the inventory, the task force identified 355 bee-related scientific outputs that EFSA has already published or developed, with the majority of these outputs involving applications for regulatory products such as pesticides and GMOs. “With its mandate to improve EU food safety and to ensure a high level of consumer protection, EFSA has a responsibility to protect bees and the ecosystem services they provide to humans,” stated the agency in a November 20,…
Organic growers and food safety advocates, including the National Organic Coalition (NOC), have condemned recommendations contained in the final report of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21), a group appointed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address transgenic contamination of organic and non-genetically engineered (GE) crops. GE crops make up the majority of corn and soybeans produced in the United States. According to news sources, of particular concern in the report is the recommendation that organic and non-GE conventional farmers pay to self-insure themselves against unwanted GE contamination. In a press release NOC stated that “This proposal allows USDA and the agricultural biotechnology industry to abdicate responsibility for preventing GE contamination while making the victims of GE pollution pay for damages resulting from transgenic contamination.” “The AC21 report takes responsibility for GE contamination prevention out of the hands of USDA and the biotech industry…
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Inspector General requesting an investigation into the use of pork checkoff funds. HSUS contends that “federal pork checkoff program monies are being used to fund the NPPC’s [National Pork Producers Council’s] Pork Alliance program, which is the council’s state and federal lobbying operation. Further, the NPPC publicly lists the [National] Pork Board on its website among the high donor ‘partners’ of its Alliance program, a public endorsement that would also violate the Pork Board’s prohibition against involvement in lobbying activity.” The federal pork checkoff program apparently requires pork producers to pay into a fund overseen by the National Pork Board, which HSUS claims “is to use the funds for ‘promotion, research, and consumer information plans and projects’ or for the Board’s own administrative expenses. However, both federal law and USDA regulations…
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended operations at nut and seed spread manufacturer Sunland Inc.’s New Mexico plant after investigators reportedly discovered Salmonella-tainted peanut butter linked to an outbreak that has allegedly sickened 41 people in 20 states this year. According to FDA, “the fact that peanut butter made by the company has been linked to an outbreak . . . coupled with Sunland’s history of violations led [the agency] to make the decision to suspend the company’s registration.” In a November 26, 2012, letter to Sunland’s president, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said evidence the agency collected in response to the outbreak demonstrated that “[n]ut butter and nut products manufactured, processed, packed, and held by your facility are contaminated with salmonella, or are at risk for contamination with salmonella, based on the conditions in your facility. Your facility’s testing records over the past 3 years include multiple positive…
In response to a series of letters from Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials have confirmed that the agency is currently reviewing the safety of energy drinks containing caffeine and other ingredients that act as stimulants and may require regulatory action if evidence of a health risk is found. Since April, both senators have urged FDA to take action to regulate energy drinks and to investigate the safety of ingredients with stimulant properties in combination with caffeine in energy drinks, particularly as they affect young consumers. In a recent press release, the senators note that “There is very clearly a lack of understanding about the health effects of energy drinks and their ingredients especially on children and adolescents,” and although they are glad to see that FDA is undertaking a review, more needs to be done and quickly. “For instance, FDA can and…
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has introduced a bill to deny federal tax deductions to companies marketing “junk food” to children. The Stop Subsidizing Childhood Obesity Act (H.R. 6599) would “amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to protect children’s health by denying any deduction for advertising and marketing directed at children to promote the consumption of food at fast food restaurants or of food of poor nutritional quality.” In a recent press release, Kucinich contends that Congress—with [citizens’] tax dollars—has subsidized the marketing efforts of fast food and junk food companies by as much as $19 billion over the past 10 years. “In 2004 alone, $10 billion was spent on food advertising directed at children. It is effective because a child’s brain is unable to distinguish fact from fiction at a time they are developing life-long taste allegiance. If it didn’t work, they wouldn’t do it. According to The Journal…
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