California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has slated a public pre-regulatory workshop for July 30, 2013, to gather input from stakeholders “on the content of a regulation that would address Proposition 65 (Prop. 65) warnings.” According to OEHHA, the regulation, “if formally proposed and adopted, would either supplement or replace existing OEHHA regulations governing Proposition 65 warnings and conform to any statutory changes if enacted.” Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has indicated his intent to amend the law in 2013. Among the proposed changes OEHHA is considering are (i) requiring, at a minimum, information in all warnings, the health effect for which the chemical was listed, how a person will be exposed and “simple information (such as washing hands) on how to avoid or reduce an exposure”; (ii) “Approved warning methods and content for use by manufacturers and retailers regarding exposures to listed chemicals in foods, including foods…
At the behest of the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA), an independent reviewer has issued a final report on the agency’s response “to the adulteration of processed beef products with horse and pork meat and DNA.” Authored by Pat Troop, former chief executive of the Health Protection Agency, the report evaluates FSA’s “relevant capacity and capabilities,” including (i) “the response of the FSA to any recent prior intelligence on the threat of substitution of horsemeat for beef in comminuted beef products available in the U.K.,” (ii) the “strategic, tactical and operational response” to initial test results, (iii) “communication from the FSA to the public, parliament, and other stakeholders,” (iv) FSA’s engagement with the food industry and other regulatory agencies, and (v) “the enforcement response of the FSA, in terms of the powers available and arrangements for conducting investigations into potential breaches of food law or other law, including liaison and…
Following a request from the European Commission concerning the declining health of bees in Europe, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published new guidance for assessing the potential risks to bees from the use of pesticides. Noting that a previous risk assessment for honeybees did not fully account for risks from chronic or repeat exposure to pesticides, or the potential risks to larvae, EFSA said that the new guidance fills these gaps, adds schemes for bumble bees and solitary bees and proposes a new method for assessing whether the potential harm posed to bees from the use of a plant protection product is acceptable. “This method—which gives a more precise assessment of acceptable loss of foragers than the existing approach—should afford greater protection to honey bee colonies situated on the edge of fields treated with pesticides,” said EFSA. According to EFSA pesticide experts, the attributes to protect honey bees are…
The Codex Alimentarius has announced new food safety and nutrition standards that strive to “protect the health of consumers worldwide.” The regulations include guidance on preventing and reducing ochratoxin A—a reportedly carcinogenic contaminant—in cocoa, avoiding microbiological contamination of berries, preventing hydrocyanic acid in cassava, and when to label food with ”non-addition of sodium salts.” The commission also seeks to protect consumers against fraud and ensure fair food trade practices for products such as avocados, chanterelles, pomegranates, olives, and fish products. “The standards help buyers and sellers establish contracts based on Codex specifications and make sure that the consumers get from the products what they expect,” explained a news release. The recommendations also include nutrient references for sodium and saturated fat, as well as maximum pesticide residue limits for certain food additives. Meanwhile, Codex celebrated its 50th anniversary at its annual meeting, held in Rome, July 2, 2013. The session was attended by 620…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published a final rule “to enhance the requirements for documentation to support labels on tuna products that represent the product as dolphin-safe.” According to NMFS, the rule “is intended to better ensure dolphin-safe labels comply with the requirements of the DPCIA [Dolphin Protection Consumer Identification Act] and to ensure that the United States satisfies its obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).” Information about an adverse WTO ruling in a dispute with Mexico over U.S. dolphin-safe labeling provisions appears in Issue 424 of this Update. See Federal Register, July 9, 2013.
According to a news source, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted permission for slaughterhouses in New Mexico and Iowa to convert their facilities into horse-processing plants, the first such facilities to be licensed since Congress banned the practice seven years ago. Other applications for horse-processing plants are reportedly being considered in Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Before horse slaughter can begin, however, plants must be inspected by USDA inspectors who have reportedly not yet been hired. “This is very far from over,” an attorney for the New Mexico plant was quoted as saying. “The company is going to plan to begin operating in July. But with the potential lawsuits and the USDA—they have been dragging their feet for a year—so to now believe they are going to start supplying inspectors, we’re not going to hold our breath.” See The Associated Press, June 28, 2013; Emporiagazette.com, July 11, 2013.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule amending 21 C.F.R. 175.300 to reflect the industry’s abandonment of bisphenol A (BPA)- based epoxy resins as coatings in infant formula packaging. As of July 12, 2013, the food additive regulations will no longer provide for this use of BPA. According to FDA, its action followed Rep. Edward Markey’s (D-Mass.) petition asserting that industry had stopped using BPA in infant formula packaging; the action “is not “related to the safety of BPA.” See FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition—Constituent Update, July 11, 2013.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed “an ‘action level’ of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in apple juice,” the same level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water. According to a July 12, 2013, press release, FDA set this threshold based on its latest analysis of organic and inorganic arsenic in apple juice as part of its draft guidance to industry. “The FDA is committed to ensuring the safety of the American food supply and to doing what is necessary to protect public health,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. “We have been studying this issue comprehensively, and based on the agency’s data and analytical work, the FDA is confident in the overall safety of apple juice for children and adults.” The agency will accept comments on the proposed action level and draft guidance for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.…
A recent study examining the effects of low- and high-carbohydrate foods on brain activity has purportedly concluded that meals with a high glycemic index (GI) “decreased plasma glucose, increased hunger, and selectively stimulated brain regions associated with reward and craving in the last postprandial period, which is a time with special significance to eating behavior at the next meal.” Belinda Lennerz, et al., “Effects of dietary glycemic index on brain regions related to reward and craving in men,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2013. Led by New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center Director David Ludwig, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to analyze the brain activity of 12 overweight or obese men during the four-hour period following consumption of either a low-GI or high-GI milkshake. The results evidently showed that “cerebral blood flow was greater [four hours] after the high- than low-GI meal in the right nucleus accumbens,” a…
A recent New York Times article reported that the distribution of counterfeit food and beverage products is widespread. In “Counterfeit Food More Widespread Than Suspected,” authors Stephen Castle and Doreen Carvajal note that although the scandal in Europe surrounding the substitution of horse meat for beef products has garnered the most attention from consumers, in fact, that is just a hint of what has been happening as the economic crisis persists. Castle and Carvajal report that investigators have uncovered thousands of frauds, raising questions about regulatory oversight as criminals offer shoppers cheaper versions of everyday food products, including chocolate, olive oil, wine, juice, honey, and coffee. One recent food fraud case reportedly involved an international organized crime gang that produced and distributed a “dangerous brew” of fake vodka that appeared legitimate and bore a “near-perfect counterfeit label,” but contained bleach and high levels of methanol. See The New York Times,…
