Posts Tagged ‘FDA’
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Food News: Egg Laws, Food Safety Bill & Fracking
Only Free-Range Eggs in California.
A new law says egg producers located outside California that want to sell their eggs in-state must meet the same humane requirements for their chickens as
California egg producers. The law says that hens must have enough living space to be considered “cage-free.” The cage-free ruling will most likely increase the price of California eggs for the consumer because the farmer’s overhead costs will be more expensive. However, the upside is that humanely raised chickens can improve food safety because hens living in stressful conditions have reduced immunity to illness, and their eggs can put the consumer at risk. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the new egg law last week and it will take effect in 2015.The FDA also upped national egg safety regulations, reports the Associated Press. The new laws require some egg producers to increase testing for salmonella. Large-scale producers will also be required to keep eggs constantly refrigerated during transport and storage. These changes were announced by the Obama administration last year and went into effect on July 9th.
New Food Safety Law Could be Stalled by BPA Amendment
Food safety groups are running newspaper ads to push the Senate to approve the new food safety bill that was passed a year ago by the House of Representatives. President Obama announced his support for the bill last Wednesday, reports the Washington Post.
California Senator Diane Feinstein has been leading efforts to include an amendment to the food safety bill that would include a ban on bisphenol A, a chemical widely used in food packaging that studies claim has been linked to health complications, including the early onset of puberty in girls.
If the amendment is added to the food safety bill, getting the bill passed could be much harder. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “thirty major chemical and food manufacturing industry groups have banded together to defeat Feinstein’s efforts,” in an attempt to block the FDA from gaining more regulatory power over their products.
Fracking Affects Cattle in PA
In Pennsylvania, the effects of fracking have led to a quarantine of 28 beef cattle. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a drilling technique that injects massive quantities of water, sand and chemicals at a high pressure into a horizontal well as far as 10,000 feet below the ground. The pressurized mixture causes the rock layer to crack and release natural gas.
The byproducts of the controversial process include groundwater pollution and chemical spills. On the Pennsylvania farm where the quarantine occurred, wastewater from a gas well leaked onto the farm’s fields and came into contact with the animals, reports ProPublica. The cattle were quarantined and will not be processed.
Regional News
July 12: The University of Vermont and other agriculture colleges are selling cows to cut costs. Associated Press
July 11: The 16th annual SolarFest will take place next weekend in Tinmouth, Vermont. Times Argus
July 9: Vermont trees and crops have survived the latest summer heat wave. Burlington Free Press
July 8: Fish near Brattleboro have tested positive for Sr-90, though the Health Department decided it is unlikely that the chemicals in the fish are a result of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant leak. Vermont Business Magazine
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NOAA & FDA Discuss Fishing In Wake of Oil Spill
In the wake of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and officials from the FDA met in New Orleans with gulf coast state officials to coordinate a protocol for sampling and reopening waters that have been contaminated by the massive spill. Also present at the meeting were representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the EPA.
A fishing boat cuts through oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico.
The goal for last week’s meeting was to establish a multi-agency program to ensure that any seafood coming from the Gulf of Mexico and certified for sale would be safe to eat. These measures are being taken to protect the consumer and to ensure that fishermen will be able to sell their products with confidence.
Eric Schwaab, the assistant administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service stated: “No single agency could adequately ensure the safety of seafood coming from the Gulf following this tragedy, but in working together, we can be sure that tainted waters are closed as appropriate, contaminated seafood is not allowed to make it to market, and that closed waters can be reopened to fishing as soon as is safe.”
The protocol agreed upon will be used by state authorities in Louisiana and by officials of the NOAA to determine the possible reopening of more areas of marine waters in Louisiana and Florida.
The agencies are currently testing fish caught outside closed areas for petroleum compounds to ensure that the closed areas are large enough to prevent contaminated fish from being harvested. The FDA reports, “so far, fish flesh tested from outside the closure areas have tested well below any level of concern for oil-based contamination.”
Commercial fishermen have lost huge amounts of income due to the closing of some fishing grounds and oyster beds since the spill on April 20. Fishermen have also made their case that their businesses are suffering because many Americans already consider Gulf seafood to be contaminated and have stopped buying it, despite the results of the safety tests.
More National News
July 5: 66,000 pounds of bison products from Rocky Mountain Natural Meats have been recalled for potential E. coli contamination. Food Safety News
July 2: The House of Representatives held its first hearing on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill. If passed, the bill would provide $8 million to set standards to improve the food sold in schools. Food Safety News
June 30: The National Research Council published a report that endorses the sustainable food movement. San Francisco Chronicle
June 29: The FDA released a policy document that states giving animals antibiotics like penicillin and tetracycline should be limited. New York Times
June 29: The CDC and the FDA continue to investigate and track infections in multiple states tied to the consumption of raw alfalfa sprouts. CDC
Regional News
July 5: Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, expanded to offer year-round courses, greatly benefitting the school’s extensive agriculture program, since classes will now also take place during the growing season. Burlington Free Press
July 3: The Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery’s Bijou took home a 2010 sofi Gold award at the Fancy Food Show in New York City in the perishable foodservice product category. WCAX
July 3: Raw milk sales in Vermont have helped sustainable dairy farmers in a tough economy. Just Means
July 2: Vermont will receive $47 million to revamp broadband access across the state. Vermont Business Magazine
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Food Modernization Act Has Shortcomings
“The food safety system in the U.S. is underfunded, overwhelmed, and in desperate need of new powers to keep us safe as Americans,” said Illinois senator Dick Durbin at a Chicago grocery store last weekend, according to ABC News. Durbin is the sponsor for the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) that will be debated by the full U.S. Senate as early as next week.
Durbin’s assessment of the food system is unfortunately quite accurate. Andrew Kimbrell, the Center for Food Safety’s executive director, writes on the Huffington Post, “70 million Americans are sickened, 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die from food-borne illness every year.”The Food Modernization Bill would expand the authority and power of the FDA and would increase the FDA’s right to inspect food-processing facilities and suspend those that don’t meet criteria. The bill would also require food processors to develop food-safety plans.
Though it is intended to protect Americans against contamination of foods, the bill has come under fire because of its “one-size-fits-all” approach to legislation. The food safety regulations set into action by the Food Modernization Bill would be the same for a small farmer as for a large factory farm. The high cost of meeting inspections could bankrupt small businesses and hinder the economic viability of small- to mid-scale food producers.
Hilde Steffey, FarmAid’s Program Director, writes on FarmAid.org:
“There is the grave risk that new regulation will settle on a one-size-fits-all solution catered to industrial-scale production and processing. This kind of thinking will only encourage the growth of industrial systems, many of which are at the root of the problem. In the meantime, small and mid-sized family farmers, local and regional food systems, and diversified, sustainable and organic producers that by their very design are less susceptible to large-scale contamination and outbreak will be jeopardized.”
The Food Modernization Act also would provide the same level of food safety standards to all types of food processing systems instead of prioritizing the regulation of the highest-risk food production practices.
Andrew Kimbrell points out in his Huffington Post op-ed that the Food Modernization Bill will continue to protect the interest of large corporations by prohibiting the FDA from “impeding, minimizing, or affecting” USDA authority on meat, poultry and eggs. Kimbrell articulates, “As a result, these bills contain the stupefying provision that no attempt by the FDA to combat E. coli and Salmonella will be allowed.”
Much needed modifications to the Food Safety Modernization Act have been proposed. Senator Jon Tester of Montana has introduced an amendment to the bill that would exempt small-scale farmers and food producers from some of the regulations.
Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow introduced another amendment to the bill, the Growing Safe Food Act, that would offer grants to small farmers to receive food-safety training and technical assistance to help them meet the new safety standards.
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Feds Investigate Possible BigAg Antitrust Violations
The U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are joining forces to investigate potential violations of antitrust laws in the agriculture industry. Attorney General Eric Holder and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to Iowa last week speak to farmers, ranchers and industry leaders at a public meeting.
The first of five workshops on competition and consolidation in the agriculture industry took place on Friday in front of a crowd of about 700 people.The central question to tackle is, Holder said, “Is today’s agriculture industry suffering from a lack of free and fair competition in the marketplace.”
Public relations executives from Monsanto Company were also at the meeting.
Monsanto, a biotech company that has patented their genetically modified soybean, is one of the most prominent companies under scrutiny. The Justice Department is currently investigating whether or not the patents on seeds are being abused to maintain dominance in the industry. Currently, 93 percent of U.S. soybeans contain Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready gene.
Monsanto received national attention after being featured in the documentary Food Inc., which showed the huge amount of power Monsanto wielded in court against small farmers and seed cleaners who were sued by Monsanto for patent infringement.
According to the New York Times, Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney drew applause from the crowd on Friday when she announced the Justice Department “planned to keep a close eye on the coming shift to generic forms of biotech crop traits, as the patents that companies hold on those traits expire.”
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FDA Gets Tough on Baby Food Labels
The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on misleading food labels, specifically on baby foods. Seventeen companies received warning letters from the FDA on March 4th because their labels made unauthorized claims about health and nutrition. Baby food makers including Nestle (producers of Gerber and Gerber Graduates), Beech-Nut, First Juice Inc., and PBM Products were some of the companies warned about their product labeling.
The FDA doesn’t allow health claims to be published on baby foods because there are no federal dietary guidelines established for children under the age of two. Gerber Graduate puffs, for example, violated this standard by claiming to be a “good source of iron, zinc, and Vitamin E.” Labels on some varieties of Juicy Juice were named as violating FDA standards because “the product labels imply that the products are 100% juice when they are actually juice blends with added flavors.”Companies that received warning letters from the FDA have 15 days to either dispute the claims or inform the FDA of the steps they will take to correct their packaging labels.
After criticizing the Smart Choices Program as a food labeling system, the FDA announced in October it would develop standardized criteria for front-of-package labeling. The FDA reiterated this promise last Wednesday announcing it will soon propose new guidelines for food package labeling, says the Associated Press.
A full list of companies and the food products that received warning letters from the FDA can be viewed here.
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Obama Administration Moves to Ban Junk Food from Schools
The Obama administration is making efforts to ban junk food from schools in an attempt to reduce childhood obesity through the overhaul of the Child Nutrition Act, the federal law that oversees school lunch and breakfast programs. Thirty-two percent of American school children are overweight or obese, putting them at significant risk for diabetes and other weight-related health problems as they age. The legislation, which will be introduced this week, would expel sugary foods and drinks from schools and require schools to offer more nutritious options.
The nuts and bolts of the new legislation were going to be announced by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack last Monday at the National Press Club, but due to the snow in Washington, the event was canceled.The legislation would expand school lunch programs and provide larger reimbursements for schools serving breakfast. The New York Times reports the improvements to the school food system would require a $1 billion per year increase in the budget, which is currently set at $18 billion.
Proposed improvements to the program would result in the elimination of sugary drinks and snacks, and vending machines and cafeterias would be filled with more nutritious options, including fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods.
Though the American Beverage Association does not favor a federal ban on soda in schools, companies like Coke and Pepsi have backed off on their opposition because they would still be able to sell water and juice to schools.
The results of a new study conducted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health could be helpful in securing the ban on soda in schools. The study shows a possible correlation between soda and pancreatic cancer. A study of more than 60,000 people in Singapore found that those who drank more than two or more sugary sodas per week had a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, reports Reuters.
Mark Pereira, who led the study, said, “The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth.”
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Major Chain Moves to Sell Only Wild Salmon
Target will no longer sell farm-raised salmon in any of its stores nationwide. Instead of sourcing from salmon farms, Target will stock only Alaskan, wild-caught salmon in its fresh, frozen and smoked seafood sections. The company cited environmental reasons behind the decision, which was announced last week.
Target consulted conservationists with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch to determine how to make their seafood offerings more environmentally conscious. Farmed salmon, Target argues, can increase pollution, chemicals and parasites and hurt native salmon in surrounding areas.Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, said “Target’s decision to source sustainable wild-caught salmon, instead of farmed, will have a real impact in the marketplace — and ultimately, on the health of our oceans.” Seafood Watch rates wild-caught salmon a “Best Choice.”
The changes will extend to Target’s own brands, Archer Farms and Market Pantry, which will now sell only wild salmon. Target expects to have phased all farmed salmon products out of its stores by the end of 2010. Greg Duppler, senior vice president of marketing for Target noted, “Our guests now have an array of sustainable seafood choices at great prices.”
Whole Foods isn’t joining Target in the farmed salmon ban. Last week Whole Foods launched a new label to alert shoppers that their seafood—including farmed salmon—meets the company’s “responsibly farmed” criteria.
Whole Foods believes “Farming seafood can provide a consistent, high-quality, year-round supply of healthy and delicious protein. And when it’s done right, aquaculture can be environmentally friendly and can be a crucial way to supplement wild-caught fish supplies.”
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Hannaford Supports “Keep Local Farms” Program
Hannaford Supermarket has joined the effort to support dairy farmers in the Northeast by launching the “Keep Local Farms” program in its 171 stores in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont on January 12.
Locally sourced dairy products in Hannaford markets will be clearly labeled with the “Keep Local Farms” icon to help increase consumer awareness and support for local dairy farmers.Hannaford is also encouraging customers to further contribute to the “Keep Local Farms” program by providing the option to donate an additional $2 or $5 upon checkout.
The Vermont Dairy Promotion Council, the New England Dairy Promotion Board and the New England Family Dairy Farm Cooperative launched “Keep Local Farms” in September 2009. The program’s goal is to stabilize milk prices by “connecting consumers with dairy farmers through education and direct support.”
The “Keep Local Farms” website reads, “Because the basic price of milk is federally regulated and determined nationally, the price that local farmers receive fluctuates monthly, making it difficult for them to anticipate what their income will be on a month-to-month basis.” High production costs have also contributed to the closing of more than 100 dairy farms in the Northeast in the last two years.
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UN Hosts Summit on World Hunger
World leaders gathered in Rome on Monday morning to take part in a three-day World Summit on Food Security, hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Leaders attending the summit unanimously adopted a declaration to substantially increase aid to agriculture in developing nations, in the hope that the countries hardest hit by the hunger crisis could achieve self-sustainability.The summit is focusing on a new approach to solving world hunger, one that puts into action the ancient proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
In the past, aid has mostly been provided in the form of food sent by wealthy nations to the countries that need it. The new plan tackles the hunger problem at the root by using funds to provide technology, irrigation help, fertilizer and seeds to enable poorer nations to produce their own food locally.
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Consumer Reports Finds BPA in Food
Need one more reason to purchase local, fresh food whenever possible?
A new report by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, shows an alarming presence of the chemical bisphenol A, a synthetic estrogen, in many canned foods manufactured in America.Bisphenol A, known as BPA, has been used for years in the manufacture of clear plastic bottles and in the lining in tin cans. BPA is more likely to infiltrate foods stored in plastic containers if the container is cleaned in a dishwasher or used in a microwave.
The Consumer Reports’s tests found various levels of BPA in the 19 name brand food products tested, including canned soups, tuna, juices and green beans. Canned goods generally had the highest levels of BPA, including Del Monte green beans, Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup and Progresso Vegetable Soup.
The chemical was also found in products labeled “BPA-free” as well as in canned food labeled organic.
In the wake of the study, food manufacturers have countered that the BPA levels found in their products meet federal regulations, reports ABC News. The Grocery Manufacturing Association said in a statement, “The public should not be alarmed.”
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