The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will host a meeting on March 20, 2013, in Brussels to discuss the agency’s work in the area of endocrine active substances (EAS) and endocrine disruptors (ED). The EFSA Scientific Committee will present its opinion on “Hazard assessment of endocrine disruptors: scientific criteria for identification of endocrine disruptors and appropriateness of existing testing methods for assessing effects mediated by these substances on human health and the environment,” which was created in response to the European Commission’s September 2012 mandate to define scientific criteria for identifying ED and to review whether existing toxicity methods are appropriate to identify and characterize potential endocrine activity (effect on endocrine system) and/or endocrine disruption (leading to an adverse effect) in humans and the ecosystem.
Category Archives Legislation, Regulations and Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration have announced a March 12, 2013, public meeting in College Park, Maryland, to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions for discussion at the 7th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods in Moscow on April 8–12, 2013. Agenda items include (i) proposed draft maximum levels for Deoxynivalenol in cereals and cereal-based products; (ii) proposed draft revisions of maximum levels for lead in selected commodities in the general standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed; (iii) a proposed draft code of practice for preventing and reducing Ochratoxin A contamination in cocoa; and (iv) a discussion paper on the development of a code of practice for preventing and reducing arsenic contamination in rice. See Federal Register, February 27, 2013.
Massachusetts lawmakers have proposed a bill (H.B. 2011) to expand access to healthy food choices in vending machines on state property, including “government office buildings, road-side rest stops, state parks and recreation centers, state colleges and universities, and state supported hospitals.” The legislation seeks to set specific nutritional standards for all foods or beverages sold through vending machines located in government buildings or on property owned or managed by the commonwealth. To this end, the proposed bill would require that all beverage items must be one or a combination of the following: (i) water, including carbonated water, without added caloric sweeteners; (ii) coffee or tea without added caloric sweeteners, provided that condiments offered for these beverages have less fat than cream; (iii) fat-free or 1-percent low-fat dairy milk or calcium- and vitamin-D-fortified soymilk with less than 200 calories per container; (iv) 100 percent fruit juice or fruit juice combined with…
The Mississippi House of Representatives recently passed legislation (H.B. 1182) that aims to prohibit food regulation at the local level. The bill in question would reserve to the state legislature the power to regulate consumer incentive items, implement menu and vending machine labeling rules, and set other restrictions on the sale of certain foods and beverages where not preempted by federal law. “If you want to go eat 20 Big Macs, you can eat 20 Big Macs,” said Rep. Greg Holloway (D-Hazlehurst), who reportedly argued that the bill would bar municipalities from making their own laws “willy-nilly.” The state Senate has also passed a similar measure (S.B. 2687), which must be reconciled with the House version before proceeding to the governor. See The Associated Press, February 14, 2013.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the comment periods on two proposed rules related to foodborne illness prevention and produce safety that appeared in the Federal Register on January 16, 2013. In response to a request for a 90-day extension, the agency has increased until May 16, 2013, the comment periods for the proposed rules titled “Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food” and ‘‘Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption.” Under the Food Safety Modernization Act, the two new rules would (i) require both foreign and domestic food manufacturers “to develop a formal plan for preventing their food products from causing foodborne illness,” and (ii) establish “science- and risk-based standards for the safe production and harvesting of fruits and vegetables.” Additional details about the rules appear in Issue 466 of this Update. See Federal…
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) have filed a petition requesting that the agency amend the standard of identity for milk and 17 other dairy products “to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener as an optional ingredient.” FDA is seeking comments and other information by May 21, 2013. IDFA and NMPF have evidently asked FDA to amend the milk standard of identity to allow optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk— such as chocolate—to be sweetened with any safe and suitable sweetener, including non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame. According to IDFA and NMPF, the proposed amendments “would promote more healthful eating practices and reduce childhood obesity by providing for lower-calorie flavored milk products.” In particular, the petitioners claim that lower-calorie flavored milk would assist “in meeting several initiatives aimed at…
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich), who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, has joined ranking committee member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and 31 other senators in asking U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk “to quickly address Russia’s new import ban on U.S. beef, poultry and turkey.” According to a February 19, 2013, news release, the ban stems “from Russia’s zero tolerance policy regarding ractopamine, a feed additive for livestock approved by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Codex Alimentarius Commission [CODEX].” In their letter to the trade representative, the senators claim that this “egregious” trade barrier would cost the U.S. economy $600 million annually and amount to an import ban in violation of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement. “The United States must do everything it can to defend its rights in both the WTO and CODEX and prevent non-science-based trading practices from…
In the wake of an antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) seeking to enjoin the acquisition of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) has reportedly agreed to sell a massive Modelo brewery, including full U.S. rights to the Corona® and Modelo® brands, to Constellation Brands, said to be the world’s largest wine company, for $2.9 billion. Additional information about the antitrust litigation appears in Issue 469 of this Update. The brewery, Compañía Cervecera de Coahuila, situated near the U.S.-Mexico border, produces Corona®, Corona Light® and Modelo Especial®. Constellation, which filed a motion to intervene in the DOJ lawsuit to protect its interests, stands to gain greater access to the American beer market under a revised agreement that would establish Constellation’s Crown Imports beer division as completely independent. Under the deal’s original terms, Constellation would have paid its joint venture partner Modelo $1.85 billion for the 50…
During oral argument before a Second Circuit Court of Appeals panel, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reportedly argued that it had “no obligation” to complete proceedings that the agency initiated to withdraw approval from certain uses of antibiotic drugs in livestock. Natural Res. Def. Council v. FDA, No. 12-2106 (2d Cir., argued February 8, 2013). Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen London said, “It’s completely discretionary as to when to enforce the law as to certain drugs,” in urging the court to reverse a district court order requiring it to hold the withdrawal proceedings announced in 1977 notices. According to a news source, one of the panel judges appeared to agree with FDA’s position, suggesting that it could, in theory, be forced to divert resources from high priorities on the basis of lawsuits filed against it. More information about lower court rulings in the case appear in Issues 432 and 442 of this…
A group of Rhode Island legislators has proposed a bill that would impose a statewide penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. More specifically, the tax would apply to “any nonalcoholic beverage, whether naturally or artificially flavored, whether carbonated or noncarbonated, sold for human consumption, containing sugar, corn syrup or any other high-calorie sweetener, including, but not limited to, cola and other flavored drinks, and all other drinks and beverages commonly referred to as ‘soft drinks,’ ‘sodas,’ ‘sports drinks’ or ‘energy drinks.’” Exemptions to the tax would include 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices, infant formula and milk products. Products intended by manufacturers for use as dietary supplements or for weight-reduction aids would be exempt as well. Meanwhile, Vermont lawmakers have proposed a similar bill that would impose a penny-per-ounce tax on the sale of beverages containing added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Fifty percent of the revenues generated would be directed…
