According to news sources, the Navajo Nation Council has approved legislation that would impose a 2-percent increase in sales taxes on so-called junk food, which, if approved by Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly, would make it the first Native American-governed territory to do so. The council also passed legislation eliminating a 5 percent sales tax on fresh produce and other healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Known as the Healthy Diné Nation Act and aimed at curbing obesity and its related diseases, the legislation would increase the sales tax from 5 to 7 percent on sugar-sweetened beverages and snacks low in essential nutrients and high in salt, fat and sugar, including chips, candy, cookies, and pastries. According to some estimates, between 55 and 85 percent of the food available in grocery or convenience stores on the Navajo reservation is deemed junk food. The additional tax revenue would…
Category Archives Issue 512
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has reportedly nixed a brewery’s plan to use an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to deliver six-packs of its winter lager to ice-fishing shacks in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. According to media sources, Lakemaid Beer posted an online video advertising its drone delivery service, prompting FAA to notify the company that the scheme allegedly violates as many as five different regulations, “ranging from the operator’s rating to the use of airspace.” The agency apparently intends to issue regulations concerning the commercial use of drones in 2015, as larger companies like Amazon investigate the feasibility of UAS local delivery services. Although Lakemaid has started a petition on WhiteHouse.gov asking FAA to issue an airworthiness certificate for its beer drones, the agency has since reiterated its decision to ground the program. “The FAA’s prime directive is safety,” an FAA spokesperson told The Hill. “While we are evaluating many potential…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a request for comments, scientific data and other information to help the agency develop its process for designating high-risk foods. Required under the Food Safety Modernization Act to designate high-risk foods for which additional recordkeeping requirements are appropriate and necessary in order to “rapidly and effectively track and trace such foods during a foodborne illness outbreak or other event,” FDA specifically seeks information on (i) alternative approaches for identifying high risk foods; (ii) whether the criteria should be weighted equally; (iii) changes in the scoring system; and (iv) how foods should be categorized. Comments will be accepted until April 7, 2014. See Federal Register, February 4, 2014. Issue 512
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a rule that would require certain shippers, receivers and carriers that transport food by motor or rail vehicles to take steps to prevent the contamination of human and animal food during transportation. Noting that the proposed rule will “help reduce the likelihood of conditions during transportation that can lead to human or animal illness or injury,” FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael Taylor said, “We are now one step closer to fully implementing the comprehensive regulatory framework for prevention that will strengthen the FDA’s inspection and compliance tools, modernize oversight of the nation’s food safety system, and prevent foodborne illnesses before they happen.” The proposed regulation aims to establish criteria for sanitary transportation practices, such as properly refrigerating food, adequately cleaning vehicles between loads and properly protecting food during transportation. The agency will accept comments until May 31,…
12
