North America Regulations -
Current Overview: Genetically engineered (GE) organisms in the United States are regulated under the Coordinated Framework, which allocates oversight among EPA, FDA, and USDA based on product...more
3/25/2026
/ Agribusiness ,
Agricultural Sector ,
APHIS ,
Biotechnology ,
China ,
CRISPR ,
England ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Genetically Engineered Seed ,
GMO ,
Life Sciences ,
New Regulations ,
Plant Variety Protection Act ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
UK ,
USDA
On March 13, 2026, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order titled “Ensuring Truthful Advertising of Products Claiming to Be Made in America,” directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prioritize enforcement...more
3/20/2026
/ Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Manufacturers ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Product Labels ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Retailers ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Supply Chain ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) held its annual stakeholders meeting on February 26, 2026. While the annual event is typically held in November, the...more
3/11/2026
/ Agricultural Sector ,
APHIS ,
Biotechnology ,
Comment Period ,
Deregulation ,
Genetically Engineered Seed ,
Government Shutdown ,
Life Sciences ,
NEPA ,
New Regulations ,
Permits ,
Plant Protection Act ,
Process Improvement ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
USDA
February 2026 has seen a flurry of Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) aligned food policy activity across federal agencies, state legislatures, and the courts. Policymakers sharpened scrutiny of the Generally Recognized as...more
2/23/2026
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Safety ,
GRAS ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State Legislatures ,
Warning Labels
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Human Foods Program (HFP) published its 2026 Priority Deliverables, outlining a broad agenda under the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) strategy to advance...more
1/27/2026
/ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Contamination ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Safety ,
GRAS ,
New Guidance ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Toxic Chemicals
On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) released the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (“DGAs” or “Guidelines”), representing the...more
1/9/2026
/ Agribusiness ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Dietary Guidelines ,
Dietary Supplements ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Government Agencies ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health ,
School Lunch Programs ,
USDA
On December 5, 2025, four national food and beverage trade associations (the American Beverage Association, the Consumer Brands Association, the National Confectioners Association, and FMI the Food Industry Association) filed...more
12/11/2025
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Dormant Commerce Clause ,
First Amendment ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
New Legislation ,
Pending Litigation ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Texas ,
Trade Associations ,
Warning Labels
On November 13, 2025, the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 (“2025 PB regulations”) took effect, completing the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) post-Brexit framework for gene-edited plants. The Regulations...more
11/25/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Biotechnology ,
Emerging Technologies ,
EU ,
Final Rules ,
Food Safety ,
Genetic Materials ,
Genetically Engineered Seed ,
Government Agencies ,
Innovation ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
UK
In a major decision for food manufacturers and retailers, the Ninth Circuit recently struck down the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) exemption for highly refined foods under the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure...more
11/12/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Agribusiness ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Appeals ,
Bioengineering ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Safety ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Request For Information ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
USDA ,
Vacated
On September 16, 2025, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1264 (AB 1264), creating a statutory definition of “ultra-processed foods” (UPFs) and requiring the removal of certain “UPFs of concern” from school meal...more
9/23/2025
/ California ,
Department of Agriculture ,
Dietary Guidelines ,
Educational Institutions ,
Food & Drug Regulations ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Request For Information ,
School Districts ,
School Lunch Programs ,
State and Local Government ,
State Health Departments
Morrison Foerster partners Kate Driscoll and Nate Mendell, both former federal prosecutors and members of the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Group, hosted the eleventh episode of When Your Life Sciences Are on...more
9/18/2025
/ Beverage Manufacturers ,
Biotechnology ,
Food & Drug Regulations ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
GRAS ,
Innovation ,
Labeling ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Request For Information ,
Retailers ,
Risk Management ,
Transparency ,
Trump Administration ,
USDA
On September 9, 2025, the Make America Healthy Again Commission published the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy Report”. The Report sets out more than 120 actions to reshape U.S. food policy and regulation,...more
9/16/2025
/ Department of Agriculture ,
Dietary Guidelines ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Food & Drug Regulations ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Marketing ,
Food Safety ,
GRAS ,
New Regulations ,
Nutrition Facts Labels ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
SNAP Program ,
USDA
On July 25, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a joint Request for Information (RFI) to solicit information and data to help the agencies develop a...more
7/31/2025
/ Comment Period ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Safety ,
Food Supply ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on July 9, 2025, that it will no longer conduct environmental analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when...more
7/28/2025
/ APHIS ,
Biotechnology ,
CEQ ,
Deregulation ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Environmental Policies ,
Genetically Engineered Seed ,
Government Agencies ,
Judicial Review ,
NEPA ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Risk Assessment ,
Statutory Authority ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
USDA
On July 17, 2025, FDA announced several rulemakings aimed at modernizing its standards of identity (SOIs) for food products – regulations that define what a food must contain and how it must be made to lawfully bear a...more
7/22/2025
/ Consumer Protection Laws ,
Deregulation ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Manufacturers ,
Product Labels ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rulemaking Process ,
USDA
As we reported in our recent client alert, the Trump administration has made clear that it is committed to using the False Claims Act (FCA) to prosecute healthcare fraud. Two recent Trump administration moves give important...more
7/21/2025
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Government Agencies ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Investigations ,
Life Sciences ,
Medicare ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Trump Administration ,
Whistleblowers
In June 2025, Texas and Louisiana each enacted legislation mandating new label disclosures for foods containing a number of food and color additives, raising federal preemption and First Amendment questions. Both states have...more
7/2/2025
/ Consumer Protection Laws ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Louisiana ,
New Legislation ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Texas ,
Warning Labels
On June 18, 2025, FDA published a proposed “Post-Market Assessment Prioritization Tool” to guide how the agency plans to rank and prioritize food chemicals under its enhanced post-market review process.
FDA’s unveiling of...more
6/25/2025
/ Comment Period ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Government Agencies ,
New Regulations ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Risk Assessment ,
Toxic Chemicals
On June 11, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released educational videos and a new fact sheet to facilitate compliance with the agency’s New Dietary Ingredient Notification (NDIN) review process. Under the...more
6/18/2025
/ Compliance ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Dietary Guidelines ,
Dietary Supplements ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Filing Requirements ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Safety ,
Manufacturers ,
Marketing ,
New Guidance ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
On May 22, 2025, President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released an assessment titled “The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment.” The report—framed as a “call to action”—stems from a...more
5/27/2025
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Chemicals ,
Clinical Trials ,
Environmental Policies ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Safety ,
Healthcare Reform ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Pesticides ,
Popular ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
On April 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a major initiative to voluntarily phase out “petroleum-based synthetic dyes” (i.e., synthetic...more