The battle surrounding the technology rights for the production of
soy isoflavones has been refired as Archer Daniels Midland files a
lawsuit against a US firm for infringing patent rights.
Britain's food safety watchdog has demanded recalls on four soft
drinks brands, after it found they were contaminated with benzene
at up to 28 times the country's limit for drinking water.
A Codex committee meets this week to hammer out international
standards for the dairy industry, including contentious issues such
as who can label their cheese as "parmesan".
Codex has launched a searchable web-based version of its standard
General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) to inform food firms
about the latest developments.
Elementary and middle schools in Illinois could be banned from
selling junk food and soda in a move designed to improve children's
health and mental abilities through good nutrition.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that
would standardize food safety labeling requirements throughout the
US, a move that would bring significant benefits to the food
industry.
The gamble by US authorities 15 years ago to let the industry deal
with benzene residues in soft drinks has failed, and instead only
kept those who needed to know in the dark.
The Sugar Association has filed a petition with the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) requesting the establishment of a clear
definition for the use of the term 'natural' on food and beverage
product labels.
The House of Representatives yesterday lunched a debate on a bill
that proposes to create a uniform system for all food safety
standards and warning labels on food products regulated by the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
When it comes to trans fats, "there will be a lot more awareness
raising this year," according to the Californian attorney who
successfully sued both Kraft and McDonald's over their use of trans
fats, and who revealed...
More than 50 bottlers have now lined up to sue Coca-Cola in the US
in a move to stop the soft drinks group distributing its Powerade
sports drink directly to Wal-Mart supermarkets around the country.
America's soft drinks association said it would have to look again
at benzene in drinks, after new tests revealed to
BeverageDaily.com suggest it and food safety authorities
failed to stamp out a problem.
Inconsistencies in information provided by McDonald's over the
allergen content of its French fries have resulted in the fast food
giant facing a public relations nightmare together with possibly
unfounded lawsuits.
US agribusiness firm Cargill on Friday filed an appeal of a judge's
ruling in December that prevents the company from enforcing patents
for high oleic oils.
A US industry body has commended the WTO's ruling that the EU and
six member states broke trade rules by barring entry to GM crops
and foods, something that has had a significant impact on the
nation's food industry.
The EU has attacked the US for 'seriously twisting the truth about
the value of the European Unions agricultural market access offer
in the Doha Round'.
As the date approaches for US schools to submit nutritional
guidelines for food and beverage products sold on campus, a new
study reveals that principals and food service directors have
different perceptions on food policy.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may soon require food
companies to label the presence of insect-derived red color
additives cochineal extract or carmine, on the basis that these may
lead to severe allergic reactions.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has called for a national
action plan for organic food and farming to be included in the next
farm bill, something that could result in increased production of
organic ingredients.
When it comes to using litigation as a strategy to combat obesity,
food manufacturers should be most wary of lawsuits based on
consumer protection acts, according to a new report that examines
the application of tobacco litigation...
A lawsuit aimed at getting soft drinks firms out of US schools on
obesity grounds is now ready to go, says one of the leading lawyers
involved to BeverageDaily.com, as new research suggests
obesity litigation will become the next...
International retailing giant Ahold today announced that a US
federal court has granted approval for its $1.1 billion legal pay
out to shareholders, compensating them for an overstating of
profits two years ago.
Cognis has been denied permission to make a qualified health claim
for the consumption of its Xangold brand lutein esters and reduced
risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Snack firm Frito Lay is to face a law suit for deceptively
marketing its 'Light' potato chip range in order to trick consumers
into believing the products do not contain the controversial fat
substitute olestra, said the...
US Manufacturers of products containing barley are allowed to claim
that they may help reduce the risk of heart disease, according to
the Food and Drug Administration, which has approved the health
claim for immediate use.
Food manufacturers in the US may well be set to benefit from the
new trans fat labeling law, in effect as of yesterday, despite the
panic this has caused over the past two years.
Consumers who suffer from food allergies are set to benefit from
new "plain English" allergen labeling rules, which also
provide food and beverage manufacturers with the opportunity to tap
into the growing "free-from"...
Tuna processors are back in the ring again over mercury, fighting
back against more claims that canned products contain dangerously
high levels of the contaminant.
In the absence of definitive action from the FDA, food
manufacturers should take the initiative to promote whole grains to
the American public, clearly indicating if products are an
excellent source or a good source of whole grains,...
A new law allowing American schools to sell milk anywhere at any
time will force changes to exclusivity contracts between schools
and soft drink firms.
The EU and US have signed off the first stage of their wine
agreement as France's agriculture minister tells annoyed winemakers
the deal is not as strong as it could be.
A petition from a food and spice company could end up with the US
food regulator rescinding its decision last year allowing
processors to use carbon monoxide to keep packaged meat red and
fresh-looking.
Salt should be treated as a food additive for the purposes of
regulation, with strict limits placed on the salt content of
processed foods, according to a petition sent by the Center for
Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to the...
Better training procedures, new requirements on allergen and
pathogen controls, and tougher record keeping rules to ensure food
safety in processing plants, are among the legislative changes
proposed by the industry's regulator.
The FDA has issued a letter of guidance to the California lettuce
industry in an attempt to stem the continuing human disease
outbreaks linked to the consumption of fresh produce.
Regulations concerning the jurisdiction over certain food products
that contain meat and poultry are to be re-examined next month to
avoid inconsistencies, said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and the Food and Drug Administration...
New legislation may be passed to create a uniform system for all
food safety standards and warning labels on food products regulated
by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Now that the US authorities have issued final guidance under the
Bioterrorism Act, companies can now have assurance about the food
safety systems they have implemented or are about to put in place,
and the costs involved in complying...
The FDA is unconvinced that cherries pack as much of a health punch
as some marketers of cherry-based products are claiming. It has
issued warning letters to 29 companies, telling them to stop making
disease prevention or treatment...
A successful lawsuit against the tuna industry would lower the
threshold for mercury so low that every US seafood product would
require a warning, claim canners.
This week's passage of the so-called Cheeseburger Bill looks like a
straightforward victory for food makers, but the industry should
still be wary over the possibility of future litigation.
The Californian attorney who sued both Kraft and McDonald's over
trans-fats tells FoodNavigator-USA.com how he forced the
issue onto the front pages, and what his next plan of action is.
A firm commitment from the US to cut domestic farm subsidies by 60
percent within a five-year timeframe could revitalize WTO
negotiations and benefit US food makers, according to the
International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).
The food industry has been hammered for making children overweight,
but one Californian parent believes that banning junk food in
schools is redundant unless another legal loophole is dealt with.
