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
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - Advertising Complaint Upheld Against U.K. Hemp Rum Co. - The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against The Cornish Rum Co. against its ads marketing...more
The policy behind SDIL is to reduce childhood obesity by encouraging producers to change the recipes and lower the sugar content of the drinks. The Government estimates that over 50% of manufacturers had done so before SDIL...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - Medical Groups Call for SSB Taxes- The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association have issued a policy statement calling for taxes on sugar-sweetened...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - USDA, FDA Announce Joint Regulation of Cell-Cultured Livestock and Poultry Products - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - Ban on SSB Taxes Passes in Washington, Fails in Oregon - Washington voters have reportedly approved a ballot measure that will prevent the state legislature from implementing a tax...more
Mr. Buffett and his Berkshire crew just dropped nearly a billion on its own stock, a likely sign, according to analysts, of a “dearth of appealing investment options” for the company’s “large cash pile”....more
A divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that Philadelphia’s tax on sweetened beverages (Soda Tax) was not preempted by Pennsylvania’s Sales and Use Tax. Williams v. City of Philadelphia, Nos. 2, 3 EAP 2018 (Pa. July 18,...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - FDA Commissioner Questions Milk Standards Enforcement - At a speaking engagement, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb reportedly expressed that the...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - California Bans New Soda Taxes - California Governor Jerry Brown has signed the Keep Groceries Affordable Act, a statute preventing local agencies in the state from imposing taxes...more
On July 18, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in a 4-2 decision to uphold Philadelphia's soda tax. The tax, at a rate of 1.5 cents per ounce, is collected by distributors of sugar- and artificially-sweetened...more
France Bans Meat and Dairy Terms for Plant-Based Foods - The French Parliament has reportedly voted to prohibit the use of meat and dairy terms to describe plant-based substitutes such as vegetarian sausage or vegan bacon....more
Agriculture Committee Introduces 2018 Farm Bill - The U.S. House of Representatives’ Agriculture Committee has introduced the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Farm Bill). ...more
The UK tax authority HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published a series of practical guidance documents and additional online information to assist companies with understanding and complying with the new UK ‘Soft Drinks...more
A state senator in Pennsylvania has reportedly announced plans to introduce a bill that would bar any municipality in the state from levying a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). If enacted, the bill could invalidate the...more
Following the 2016 budget speech during which the proposal to tax the sugar content of beverages was first tabled, and after 18 months of vigorous debate, the South African Parliament on Tuesday adopted the taxation of sugary...more
SARS has issued for comment by no later than 30 November 2017 draft rules relating to the health promotion levy imposed on sugary beverages manufactured in or imported into South Africa. ...more
The UK tax authority HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published draft Regulations setting out further details on the new UK ‘Soft Drinks Industry Levy’, which will apply from 6 April 2018....more
Cook County, Illinois has repealed its sweetened beverage tax, just two months after the unpopular ordinance was implemented. As we previously reported, Cook County was among a number of localities across the country to pass...more
In November 2016, the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, Illinois, passed (by a slim margin of one vote) the Sweetened Beverage Tax Ordinance (“Soda Tax”). It imposed a tax at the rate of one-cent-per-ounce for all...more
After a protracted legal fight, Cook County’s much maligned Sweetened Beverage Tax went into effect on August 2, 2017. See County of Cook, § 74-850, et seq. In relevant part, the tax requires retailers of sweetened beverages...more