The European Ombudsman has issued a January 28, 2015, decision directing the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to revise its conflict-of-interest rules after the agency “failed to ensure that those experts who work in academia declare all relevant information to EFSA.” Stemming from a complaint filed by GeneWatch, the decision focused on an EFSA working group on genetically modified (GM) insects that included an academic expert whose employer has financial ties to a biotechnology company that “promotes genetically modified insects.” In particular, the European Ombudsman dismissed the agency’s reasoning that “employment by a university has never been considered a conflict of interest at EFSA,” as such a prohibition would disqualify the most qualified individuals from working groups. The decision instead places the onus on EFSA to gather additional information about the nature of the university’s financial relationships and the mechanisms in place “to prevent communication and instructions from the investment arm…
Category Archives Issue 554
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have reportedly confiscated since October 2014 about 450,000 pounds of honey produced in China but falsely declared to be from Latvia on import documents. Chinese honey has been subject to a high import tax—currently 221 percent—since 2001, when the U.S. Department of Commerce found that Chinese producers were dumping honey on the market by selling it for lower than production costs. An assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Houston reportedly identified the city as a “key point of entry” into the United States; in November 2013, agents there seized Chinese honey worth $4.2 million that was falsely labeled as Malaysian and Indian. Chinese honey was also the subject of a 2002 U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning after concerns that it was adulterated with the antibiotic chloramphenicol, which is…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the deadline for public comments about whether to expand the products included in its guidance titled “Toxicological Principles for the Safety Assessment of Food Ingredients”—also known as the “Redbook.” The agency is apparently considering this expansion “to include chemical safety assessments for all products over which FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) has statutory authority including regulatory contexts such as food additives, food contact substances, dietary supplement ingredients, food contaminants, and cosmetics.” According to FDA, “The Redbook would describe toxicological principles which apply across regulatory categories while still providing specific guidance for applying these principles within each particular context. The safety of foods containing microbial contaminants will continue to remain outside of the scope of the Redbook.” Comments may now be submitted until May 11, 2015. See Federal Register, February 2, 2015.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended until February 27, 2015, the deadline for submitting materials related to (i) nominations for a non-voting industry representative to serve on the Food Advisory Committee and (ii) statements from organizations interested in participating in the selection process for the non-voting committee member. The Food Advisory Committee evaluates data and makes recommendations on such matters as food ingredient safety, food and cosmetic labeling, nutritional issues, and exposure limits for food contaminants. See Federal Register, February 2, 2015. Issue 554
According to the February 3, 2015, issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported the first cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) in wild or domestic birds found in the United States. Of the 14 recorded incidents, seven were associated with H5N2, six with H5N8 and one with H5N1. The detections occurred in the northwestern states of California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington and involved five domestic “backyard” flocks, two captive wild birds and seven wild aquatic birds. “Until more is known about these viruses, CDC is taking a cautious approach, and recommendations are largely consistent with guidance for influenza viruses associated with severe diseases in humans,” notes CDC. “State health departments are encouraged to investigate all possible human infections with HPAI H5 virus and should notify CDC promptly when testing for influenza in…
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