By Ricardo Carvajal – NIH and USDA announced a joint workshop on Using Nanotechnology To Improve Nutrition Through Enhanced Bioavailability and Efficacy. Among the goals of the workshop are to “identify knowledge gaps in the use of nutrients (and bioactive food components) for disease prevention,” and to …
By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA updated its guidance on administrative detention of food to reflect the expansion of the agency’s authority under the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA"). As we noted in a prior blog posting, the FSMA made it easier for FDA to administratively …
By Ricardo Carvajal – The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s dismissal of an action alleging consumer fraud in food labeling claims for fiber. As we noted in a prior posting, Plaintiff alleged that Defendants violated state consumer fraud laws by failing to …
By Cassandra A. Soltis – Earlier this year, we reported on the Interagency Working Group’s (“IWG’s”) proposed voluntary principles for marketing food to children. The IWG includes representatives from the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, …
By Susan J. Matthees – We recently learned that on August 30, 2011, Philadelphia petitioned FDA pursuant to FDC Act § 403A(b) to request that FDA exempt Philadelphia from federal menu labeling requirements. As far as we know, this is the first petition for an exemption …
By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA announced its first seizure of a food that was administratively detained pursuant to FDA’s expanded authority under the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA"). FSMA amended the FDC Act to make it easier for FDA to exercise the administrative detention authority that …
By Riëtte van Laack – On October 4, 2011, the Center for Food Safety (“CFS”) announced the filing of what it touts as “a groundbreaking new legal petition” with FDA, demanding that FDA issue regulations that require the labeling of all food produced using genetic engineering. …
By Ricardo Carvajal - It almost escaped our notice – a blog posting by FDA asserting that “there is currently no evidence to suggest a public health risk from fruit juices, including apple juice” (emphasis added). The posting went up the same day as the airing …
By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA released an ambitious Draft Strategic Plan for 2012-2016 to guide the activities of its Foods and Veterinary Medicine ("FVM") Program (meaning the activities of CFSAN and CVM, as well as ORA’s food-related activities). The Plan articulates priorities organized around the following …
By Cassandra A. Soltis – There is yet another lawsuit to add to the growing list of class actions against companies marketing foods bearing “natural” claims. On September 21, 2011, a class action complaint was filed in California against Bear Naked, Inc. (“Bear Naked” or “the …
Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C.’s Ricardo Carvajal will be presenting at the following upcoming conferences on food law and policy. The ASQ Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Division's 22nd West Coast Conference on Dietary Supplement Challenges will address cGMPs, analytical issues, the FSMA, and FDA’s draft guidance …
By Wes Siegner, John R. Fleder & Ricardo Carvajal – In U.S. v. Scenic View Dairy, LLC, et. al., the government prevailed on summary judgment in an injunction action against dairy farms alleged to market cows bearing unlawful drug residues. Although nominally a veterinary drug case, …
By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA and FSIS have published a notice seeking information on issues related to reduction of dietary sodium. Last year, the CDC determined that the government’s recommendation to limit sodium to no more than 1,500 mg/day applied to nearly 70% of adults (those …
By Riëtte van Laack – As we previously reported, on December 29, 2010, the Food Safety Inspection Service ("FSIS") published its final rule on nutrition labeling of single ingredient meat and poultry products and ground or chopped meat and poultry products. The new rule requires nutrition …
By Ricardo Carvajal – That question is presented in class actions recently filed against ConAgra Foods, Inc. in California and New York. The complaint in the California case alleges that ConAgra’s labeling and advertising of Wesson Oils as “100% natural” violates California law because the oils …
