The California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) has released a September 21, 2011, report claiming that federal agricultural subsidies are largely allocated to commodity crops such as soybeans and corn instead of fresh produce. Titled “Apples to Twinkies: Comparing Federal Subsidies of Fresh Produce and Junk Food,” the report alleges that, of the $260 billion spent on agriculture between 1995 and 2010, $16.9 billion subsidized “four common food additives—corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, and soy oils (which are frequently processed further into hydrogenated vegetable oils),” while only $262 million went to apple crops, “the only significant federal subsidy of fresh fruits or vegetables.” According to CALPIRG, these allocations are the equivalent of giving individual taxpayers enough to buy 19 Twinkies® each year “but less than a quarter of one Red Delicious apple apiece.” “This wasteful spending not only squanders taxpayer dollars: by fueling the crisis of childhood…
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A Texas resident has filed a putative class action against the Kashi Co. and its parent, the Kellogg Co., in a California federal court, alleging that the company falsely labels and markets its products as “all natural” when they actually contain processed and synthetic ingredients, some of which are not generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bates v. Kashi Co., No. 11-1967 (S.D. Cal., filed August 24, 2011). Seeking to certify a nationwide class of consumers, the plaintiff names in the complaint dozens of ingredients used in Kashi snack, cereal, pizza, fruit bar, waffle, shake, trail mix, cookie, and cracker products, explains how they are produced and indicates whether they or the processes that create them are hazardous or toxic. For example, the plaintiff claims that sodium selenite is a hazardous substance. “The FDA has not declared it generally recognized as safe as a food…
According to a news source, Chinese officials have arrested about 2,000 people and shut down almost 5,000 food production facilities since April 2011, in an effort to stop the industry’s use of illegal food additives. The initiative apparently followed scandals involving pork so full of bacteria that it allegedly glowed in the dark and milk laced with melamine that led to the deaths of least six infants and sickened more than 300,000 in 2008. The Chinese government claims that nearly 6 million food businesses have been inspected and “underground” food production and storage sites destroyed. See Agence France Presse, August 4, 2011.
According to news sources, the Codex Alimentarius Commission concluded its meeting in Geneva by reaching an agreement on labeling foods that contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients. While the guidance is not mandatory, it would allow countries to label GM foods without risking a legal challenge before the World Trade Organization. National laws based on Codex guidance or standards cannot apparently be challenged as trade barriers. The matter has been debated before the commission, which consists of food safety regulatory agencies and organizations from around the world, for some two decades. Consumer interest organizations were apparently pleased with the agreement, but had urged the commission to adopt mandatory labeling. Still, a Consumers Union scientist reportedly said, “We are particularly pleased that the new guidance recognizes that GM labeling is justified as a tool for post-market monitoring. This is one of the key reasons we want all GM foods to be required…
The Corporate European Observatory (CEO) has published a report accusing European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) food additive experts of concealing conflicts of interest and industry ties. CEO claims that 11 out of 20 experts on EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources in Food (ANS) “have a conflict of interest, as defined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,” which states that such conflicts arise when an individual or corporation “is in position to exploit his or their own professional or official capacity in some way for personal or corporate benefit,” whether or not an unethical or improper act results. The report also alleges that four ANS members have “failed to declare active collaborations with the food-industry funded think-tank and lobby group, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI).” In particular, CEO faults EFSA for failing to adopt a “red list” similar to the one used by the European Medicines…
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “to clarify its authority to regulate foods that contain additives, such as baked goods that contain high doses of melatonin,” after media reports drew attention to so-called “relaxation brownies” touted for allegedly alleviating stress and easing sleep deprivation. In a May 18, 2011, letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, Durbin argues that melatonin-laced sweets “with names such as Lazy Cakes, Kush Cakes and Lulla Pies” could raise health concerns for consumers who “may not recognize they are consuming a neurohormone, that they should consult a doctor before eating it, and that it may not be appropriate for children, people with auto-immune diseases, or women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.” He notes that these products contain “roughly 8 milligrams of melatonin—almost double the upper limit of a typical dose” set by the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, which advises…
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has launched a mobile application of its “Chemical Cuisine” glossary of food additives to bring safety ratings directly to consumers’ smart phones. The CSPI app provides a list of safe additives and flags those “that everybody should avoid, as well as a number of additives most people would do well to cut back on,” according to CSPI. “Shopping for groceries was a lot easier when more food came from farms, and not factories,” said CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson. “And the tens of thousands of packaged foods on supermarket shelves have a bewildering array of chemical food additives, designed to variously enhance the taste, texture, color, or shelf life of the product.” See CSPI Press Release, April 22, 2011.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule that amends its food additive regulations to allow hydrogen peroxide to be used as an “antimicrobial agent in the manufacture of modified whey by ultrafiltration methods.” Effective March 2, 2011, the rule responds to a petition filed by Fonterra (USA) Inc. requesting the change as an alternative to “electrodialysis methods” used in whey processing. Hydrogen peroxide has been affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human consumption when electrodialysis methods are used for whey processing under certain conditions. After reviewing data on ultrafiltration methods, FDA has determined that hydrogen peroxide “will achieve its intended technical effect as an antimicrobial agent under the proposed conditions of use.” FDA requests objections to the rule or requests for a hearing by April 1. See Federal Register, March 2, 2011.
The U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued draft regulations to implement two European directives setting specific purity criteria for four food additives and one sweetener. According to FSA, the new additives are E392 extracts of rosemary, E427 cassia gum, E961 neotame, E1203 polyvinyl alcohol, and E1521 polyethylene glycol. The draft regulations also amend “existing specifications to bring them in line with international safety standards and to take account of new technological developments.” Effective March 31, 2011, the new rules will not “impose any additional costs to manufacturers.” FSA will accept comments on the draft until February 11, 2011. See FSA Press Release, January 17, 2011.
Chinese health experts have reportedly estimated that “at least 30,000 children developed early maturity” in Shanghai alone, raising concerns about food additives and pesticides allegedly laden with sex hormones. According to an August 18, 2010, China Daily article, one doctor with the Beijing Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital has suggested that “early maturity in Chinese children is as high as 1 percent, nearly 10 times the rate in most Western countries.” The physician apparently attributed the condition “to the rising amount of estrogen in the food chain as the result of pesticides being sprayed on fruit and vegetables.” Although China Daily noted the 2009 Food Safety Law and other attempts to regulate food additives, it also suggested that enforcement has been difficult if not “impossible.” As one researcher with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention purportedly said, “China has 200 million scattered rural households that produce food, and…
