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  • Foods and Dietary Supplements

    • FSMA Preventive Controls and OMB: No Cloak or DaggerApril 2nd, 2013

       By Ricardo Carvajal – When FDA published its proposed rule on preventive controls as authorized by FSMA, we noted that FDA requested comment on a number of important issues that were not addressed in the text of the regulation itself, namely product testing, environmental monitoring, and …

    • GAO Suggests Ways to Improve FDA’s Oversight of Dietary Supplement SafetyMarch 26th, 2013

      By Riëtte van Laack – On March 18, 2013, the Government Accountability Office ("GAO") released a report addressing FDA’s use of Adverse Event Reports ("AERs") in overseeing dietary supplements.  Specifically, GAO examined (1) the  number and source and the types of dietary supplements identified in adverse …

    • Appeal in NYC Sugary Drinks Case Set for June; Decision by Judge Tingling Cites Loopholes and Questions Imminence of Danger Due to Obesity; State of Mississippi RespondsMarch 21st, 2013

      By Etan J. Yeshua – New York City's portion cap rule will have its day in court (again) in early June.  The rule, which would have fined food service establishments for each sugary drink sold in a container larger than 16 ounces, was challenged and struck …

    • POM Wonderful Appeals FTC Decision and Order but Does not Request a StayMarch 18th, 2013

      By Riëtte van Laack – As we previously reported in January 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) determined that POM Wonderful, LLC’s advertising for its products violated the FTC Act and issued a cease and desist order restraining POM’s future advertising. On March 8, 2013, POM filed …

    • FDA Declines to Lower its Action Level for Mercury in FishMarch 10th, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA recently denied a citizen petition (Docket No. FDA-2011-P-0484) that asked the agency to take numerous actions with respect to mercury in commercial fish.  In part, the petition asked FDA to establish an action level, regulatory limit, or tolerance of 0.5 ppm  (the …

    • Prelude to a Mandatory Food Recall – and Suspension of Registration?March 5th, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal – The Notification of Opportunity to Initiate a Voluntary Recall that FDA recently issued to a pet treat manufacturer gives a good indication of the type of evidence and circumstances that can prompt the agency to exercise its new mandatory recall authority.  Before …

    • The Hammer Falls on PCA; Indictment Could Raise Difficult Questions About Supplier Verification Under FSMAFebruary 25th, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal & JP Ellison – The U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") announced the indictment of former officials of the Peanut Corporation of America ("PCA") for their alleged role in the distribution of peanut products that were implicated in a 2008-2009 national outbreak of …

    • CSPI Petition Asserts that Sugar-Based Drinks are Unsafe and Requests that FDA Limit “Added Sugars” in BeveragesFebruary 19th, 2013

      By Riëtte van Laack – On February 13, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (“CSPI”) together with a coalition of 10 public health departments, 20 national health organizations, and 41 health and nutrition experts, submitted a 55-page petition to FDA requesting that FDA review …

    • Caronia Webinar – Slides and Audio Available for DownloadFebruary 8th, 2013

      On January 31, 2013, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. presented a webinar addressing the real-world implications from the Second Circuit decision in United States v. Caronia.  Panelists addressed the potential impacts to the pharmaceutical, devices, dietary supplements, and tobacco industries.  HP&M was quite pleased that …

    • FDA Consent Decree Calls for Retention of Food Labeling ExpertFebruary 8th, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA announced a somewhat unusual consent decree for permanent injunction in which a manufacturer of fruit and juice products agreed to retain a labeling expert (among other experts) to ensure compliance with applicable FDA regulations.  In part, the government alleged that the …

    • FDA Announces FSMA TourJanuary 31st, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA announced that it will host a series of public meetings on the recently issued proposed rules on preventive controls for human food and standards for produce safety.  Fact sheets on the proposed rules are available here and here.  The first meeting …

    • Coming Right Up: FDLI Food WeekJanuary 27th, 2013

      Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. is participating in the Food and Drug Law Institute's Food Week 2013 being held February 5 – 8 in Washington, D.C. This program provides an opportunity for food law, regulation and policy stakeholders to gather practical guidance on cutting-edge issues …

    • Real-World Implications of United States v. Caronia – A Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. WebinarJanuary 10th, 2013

      Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. will hold a complimentary webinar on Thursday, January 31, 2013, from 12:00 – 2:00 PM (Eastern) on the Second Circuit's recent and long-awaited decision in United States v. Caronia.  This webinar is not just another summary of the Second Circuit's decision. Nor …

    • On FSMA’s Second Anniversary, FDA Releases Two Major Proposed RulesJanuary 6th, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA released two long-awaited proposed rules to implement key provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA"): Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food and Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce …

    • Are Food Allergen Thresholds on the (Far) Horizon?December 27th, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal – Signaling potential movement on an issue that has bedeviled industry, FDA published a notice requesting comments “relevant to conducting a risk assessment to establish regulatory thresholds for major food allergens.”  Undeclared major food allergens continue to be one of the two principal …