During a U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored food safety education conference in Atlanta this week, government, industry and academic speakers addressed a range of issues, including the causes of food borne illness, data collection and analysis, consumer behavior, food recalls, and foodservice workforce training. Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), spoke during the March 23-26, 2010, event to explain that nearly half the states do a poor job of tracking outbreaks. Contending that better local and state reporting of foodborne illness outbreaks could hasten life-saving food recalls, Smith DeWaal apparently called for support of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, currently pending in the Senate, which would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve the coordination of federal, state and local surveillance systems. The measure, already approved in the House, would also reportedly establish a national testing-laboratory network, improve the…
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has published a March 2010 audit report recommending several improvements to the National Organic Program (NOP) administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). “We conducted the audit because of the size and growth of the organic industry as well as the public’s increased interest in purchasing organic products,” stated the report, which faulted NOP for failing to enforce program requirements when “serious violations” occurred and for lax implementation of certification standards. In particular, OIG found that the program (i) did not resolve 19 of 41 complaints “within a reasonable timeframe”; (ii) needs to address ongoing compliance and enforcement issues with California’s State Organic Program; (iii) did not implement periodic pesticide residue testing as required by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA); (iv) did not assemble a peer review panel “to annually evaluate their accreditation process”; (v) did not…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a “Toxicological Review of Acrylamide” in support of information on its Integrated Risk Information System. The chemical, which is formed during the high-temperature heating of starchy foods, is also used in a number of industrial processes and in adhesives and grouts. According to the agency, many laboratory animal studies have indicated degenerative peripheral nerve changes from repeated oral exposures as well as impaired male reproductive performance and genetic damage. The review also notes that the agency characterizes the chemical as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” on the basis of dermal and drinking-water exposure in rats. According to the review, occupational exposure studies “are sufficient to firmly establish neurological impairment as a potential health hazard from inhalation and dermal exposure.”
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report criticizing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its handling of irradiated food products. In response to congressional inquiries, GAO examined current and proposed FDA labeling requirements for irradiated foods, as well as “the extent to which FDA has effectively managed the petition review process for irradiated food.” Despite efforts to bolster public acceptance of irradiated products, FDA “has not effectively managed its petition review process, which is the vehicle to potentially allow more food products to be irradiated,” according to GAO. The report describes ionizing radiation as a safe and effective process capable of eliminating “99.999 percent of E. coli 0157, Listeria and Campylobacter,” but notes that the current labeling scheme may suggest “these foods are less safe.” It also censures FDA’s failure to meet “key statutory and regulatory timeframes” for six currently active and pending food irradiation petitions.…
President Barack Obama (D) signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010. Pub. L. 111-148. Tucked into this sweeping health care reform measure is a provision that will require restaurants, retail food establishments and vending machines to provide certain nutrition information. The new law expands the provisions of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, which requires nutrition labeling for packaged food products. When they take effect, the new requirements will apply to a broad range of establishments from restaurants, delis and bakeries, to grocery store soup and salad bars and possibly even soda fountains in gas stations and convenience stores, as well as concession stands at movie theaters and sports venues. New Requirements Could Apply to Wide Range of Establishments Section 4205 of the health care reform law amends the misbranded food provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to…
“Goats were the first animals raised for food that were domesticated by humans 9,000 years ago,” writes Participant Media researcher Sarah Newman in this article examining the impact of goats on the world’s food supply. “Currently, two-thirds of all red meat eaten worldwide is goat meat,” common fare for a few billion people currently inhabiting or with roots in Africa, the Middle East and South America, she notes. According to Newman, culinary interest in goat dishes in the United States is on the rise by consumers who “are responding well” to the taste or nutrition benefits of goat meat and dairy products. Dairy goat industry sources assert that goat’s milk contains more calcium and vitamin B6 and vitamin A than cow’s milk, and is lower in calories and more digestible for those prone to lactose intolerance. But the challenge to farmers is keeping up with the demand. “As more chefs…
This article invokes public-health campaigns of the past, including measures taken to increase seat belt use and stop drunk driving, to call for “big-think solutions” to the nation’s obesity problems. The author outlines the factors that have led to a tripling of obesity rates among teenagers, such as a decrease in physical activity; ubiquitous high-calorie, low-nutrient foods; “rampant” food advertising to children; and food “deserts” in urban areas where the nearest convenience store sells candy and white bread. She quotes Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity head Kelly Brownell as saying, “The country defaults to giving industry the benefit of the doubt. Industry says you don’t need to regulate us; we’ll police ourselves. The tobacco industry abused that with God knows how many lives as a consequence. To expect the food industry to be different may be wishful thinking.” Among the measures the author recommends to address the…
According to a news source, a putative class action has been filed against retailer Loblaw and meat processor Siena Foods Ltd. following a listeriosis outbreak that sickened a number of Canadian consumers and led to a nationwide recall of salami and prosciutto products. While one press outlet has indicated that the bacterium which sickened two individuals has been matched genetically to the Siena meat, another reports that none of the recent five listeriosis-related deaths has been linked to Siena products. The lawsuit apparently alleges that Siena was aware of its products’ “potential toxicity” but failed to inform consumers, deciding instead to advise its distributors. Siena Foods is apparently closing its facility the weekend of March 20-21, 2010, to sanitize the plant. Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is reportedly trying to hire new meat inspectors to increase its inspections of some 80 meat-processing plants. The United States requires inspections every…
A New York resident has sued Campbell Soup Co. alleging that its “Less Sodium” and “Healthy Request” tomato soups are falsely advertised because they contain the same levels of salt and fat as the company’s “regular” tomato soup. Smajlaj v. Campbell Soup Co., No. 10-1332 D.N.J., filed March 12, 2010). Seeking to certify a nationwide class of soup purchasers, the plaintiff alleges that while the company’s “25% Less Sodium” tomato soup contains 480 mg of sodium per serving, so does the company’s “regular” tomato soup. She also alleges that “Healthy Request” soup, advertised as “low in fat and cholesterol,” contains 1.5 grams of fat per serving, while the “regular” tomato soup has 0 grams of fat per serving. According to the complaint, the company sells the “Less Sodium” and “Healthy Request” soups “for a substantially higher price—up to at least 50% higher,” than the “regular” soup. The plaintiff alleges violation of…
A New York resident has filed a false-advertising class action in a California federal court against the companies that make certain ice cream products labeled with the statement “0g trans fat.” Carrea v. Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, No. 10-1044 (N.D. Cal., filed March 11, 2010). Seeking to certify a nationwide class of ice cream purchasers, the plaintiff alleges false advertising under the Lanham Act and violations of the California Consumers Legal Remedy Act and the misleading and deceptive advertising provisions of the state Business and Professions Code. The plaintiff seeks a declaration that the defendants have committed the alleged violations, restitution, disgorgement, compensatory and punitive damages, interest, and costs. He also asks the court to order defendants to destroy all misleading and deceptive advertising materials and products. According to the complaint, the plaintiff relied on the alleged misrepresentations to conclude “that the Products were in fact healthy and relied upon…
