The World Health Organization (WHO) on Jan. 4, 2023, released a statement that there is no "safe" level of alcohol consumption that does not affect health.1 In collaboration with international partners, the WHO spearheaded...more
FDA has consistently pursued its aim of encouraging US consumers to eat less salt. As we have previously written, FDA issued a Voluntary Sodium Reduction guidance in October 2021 to support the reduction of average sodium...more
FDA Proposes Changes to Standards of Identity for Foods Including Salt- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed rule that would change the standards of identity (SOIs) for foods that include salt to...more
FDA recently issued two nutrition-related initiatives regarding dietary guidance statements and the use of salt substitutes in standardized foods. The first initiative, a draft guidance, contains agency recommendations on the...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the availability of draft guidance for industry on labeling plant-based milk alternatives. The guidance indicates that plant-based milk alternatives can be labeled as...more
On February 22, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance document recommending that plant-based alternative milks that use “milk” in the name (e.g., “soy milk”, “almond milk,” “oat milk”), and...more
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently issued a proposed rule to update its school nutrition standards. The rule proposes long-term standards, starting in the 2024-2025 school...more
Key Takeaways - ..On September 28, 2022, the FDA issued a proposed rule to update the criteria for which foods can be labeled as “healthy” to align the definition with current nutrition science. ..For the first time,...more
There were so many interesting and significant developments related to the various missions of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the last week or so of September 2022 that we decided to create a summary...more
For decades, health-conscious consumers have argued about what it really means for a food to be “healthy.” Is dark chocolate “healthy”? How about breakfast cereal, coffee, or fruit gummies?...more
On September 28, 2022, the Food and Drug Association announced a proposed rule to redefine the implied nutrient content claim term “healthy” to more closely reflect current nutrition science and Federal dietary guidelines....more
Today, the FDA proposed updated criteria for when foods can be labeled with the nutrient content claim “healthy” on their packaging. This proposed rule would align the definition of the “healthy” claim with current nutrition...more
The White House released its National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on Sept. 27, 2022, ahead of the second-ever White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Specifically, the 44-page paper calls on...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted a citizen petition concerning the classification of acacia (gum arabic) as a dietary fiber. As a result of the petition, FDA intends to propose to include acacia,...more
On December 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Dietary Guidelines have been published by the USDA and HHS...more
In the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Congress directed EPA to evaluate the risk of all chemicals in U.S. commerce. The amendments also set specific deadlines for the initial sets of evaluations,...more
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recently released its competed Scientific Advisory Report, which will serve as the basis of the recommendations in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The 2020-2025...more
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released an online-only first print of the Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The 2020 Scientific Report has two unique features that are new from...more
FDA Enters New Phase Of FSVP Enforcement - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has entered a new phase of enforcement for the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) regulation, the legally required due...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - USDA Receives Hundreds Of Comments On Hemp Interim Rule - Two weeks after opening a comment period on an interim final rule on hemp farming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - Proposed Amendment Would Provide Funds for FDA Oversight of CBD - Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), in partnership with the Natural Products Association, has reportedly filed an...more
Food and Beverage Deception Cases Still Must Pass the “Are you Serious?” Test - Becerra v. The Coca-Cola Co., No. 17-cv-05916, 2018 WL 1070823 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 27, 2018) - The Skinny: It is not Coca-Cola’s fault if you...more
FDA Announces Next Steps in Cannabis Regulation - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will take a number of steps to advance its consideration for the potential regulatory framework for...more
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) recently released updated Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for sodium and potassium. For the adequate intake of sodium, the report reaffirms the existing...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - FDA Lifts Import Alert on GE Salmon - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deactivated an import alert that prevented the introduction of genetically engineered (GE)...more