Increased Government Activity on Food in Post-2012 Election Period?

University of Illinois Associate Professor of Agricultural Law A. Bryan Endres
has co-authored a recently published update of the law suggesting that
federal government action on a variety of agriculture- and food-related topics,
moribund in the months preceding the 2012 presidential election, could
increase during the next few years in light of increasing public interest in food
production and safety issues. “United States Food Law Update: Shrouded by
Election-Year Politics, State Initiatives and Private Lawsuits Fill in the Gaps
Created by Congressional and Agency Ossification,” Journal of Food Law &
Policy, Spring 2013.

Funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute
of Food and Agriculture, the article covers a range of topics including (i)
consumer fraud suits challenging the “all natural” promotions for processed
food products, (ii) efforts by animal rights organizations to require the
humane handling of food animals, (iii) country-of-origin and genetic
modification labeling initiatives, (iv) state and local government efforts to
address rising obesity rates, (v) state “ag gag” laws proscribing filming in
food processing facilities, and (vi) the use of antibiotics in livestock and the
litigation that will force the Food and Drug Administration to hold hearings
some 30 years after initiating a process to withdraw approval from the use of
penicillin and tetracycline for other than health-related reasons.

The authors conclude, “In sum, these tensions among the various market
forces are likely to continue, along with greater government involvement in
the next years as the nation moves beyond the 2012 election season.”