By Etan J. Yeshua – The Food and Drug Administration last week initiated a process that could prohibit the sale of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), as well as food products containing industrially manufactured PHOs, such as certain baked goods, microwave popcorn, frozen pizzas, frostings, and …
The New York Academy of Sciences will present a conference on scientific and regulatory issues pertaining to nanomedicine on November 21. The conference will feature speakers from the U.S. and abroad so as to provide domestic and international perspectives. Hyman, Phelps & McNamara’s Ricardo Carvajal …
By Ricardo Carvajal – Colorado’s Department of Revenue recently published retail marijuana rules to implement that state’s Retail Marijuana Code (“RMC”). C.R.S. 12-43.4-101 et seq. The rules took effect on October 15, and are the culmination of a change in Colorado law that began with an …
Postponed due to the partial government shutdown, this conference will address numerous compliance and enforcement issues of interest to dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors, and will feature discussion of the anticipated impacts of FSMA implementation. Senior FDA and state officials will provide their perspectives, …
By Ricardo Carvajal – We previously reported on a case – Wilson v. Frito-Lay North America, Inc. – in which a federal district court held that statements on a food company’s website do not constitute labeling even though the labels of some products include a reference …
The Grocery Manufacturers Association ("GMA") is presenting a webinar on GRAS self-determinations for food ingredients next Tuesday, October 29 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. EST. The webinar is intended to help food businesses understand applicable requirements and avoid missteps in ingredient safety assessments, and will …
By Ricardo Carvajal – This past Monday, the European Food Law Association held its third conference on developments in food law in the EU and US. The conference was devoted entirely to the subject of food recalls and related public alerts, and the significant impact that …
By Riëtte van Laack – Jensen Farms, (the Jensens), the growers facing criminal charges related to the deadly 2011 listeria outbreak linked to their cantaloupes, are suing Primus Group, Inc. d/b/a/ Primus Labs (Primus) alleging that the food safety consultants who audited the Jensens’ facilities shortly …
By Riëtte van Laack – As previously reported, the American Meat Institute (“AMI”) and several international meat industry organizations filed a lawsuit in an effort to stop the Agricultural Marketing Service ("AMS") of the USDA from implementing the Country of Origin Labeling ("COOL") rule. On …
By Ricardo Carvajal – People have been eating insects for thousands of years, and the practice certainly has its devotees in the U.S. Notwithstanding that history of consumption, industrial production of insects for food use has remained a rarity. Now there are signs of a …
By Riëtte van Laack – In May of 2012, Plaintiff Matthew Dronkers filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, on behalf of himself and other class members against Kiss My Face, LLC (“KMF”) claiming that KMF’s marketing …
By Riëtte van Laack & Ricardo Carvajal – On September 19, 2013, Cargill entered into a $5 million settlement agreement to dispose of a class action lawsuit regarding its advertising for Truvia® products as “natural.” Plaintiffs charged that the products are not natural because they …
By Ricardo Carvajal & Kurt R. Karst – According to contingency plans drawn up by the Department of Health and Human Services, 45% of FDA’s nearly 15,000 staff were to be furloughed in the absence of enacted annual appropriations – popularly referred to as a …
By Ricardo Carvajal – Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced legislation – H.R. 3147, the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2013 – that would grant FDA significant new authorities in the area of food labeling. In what is identified as the bill’s “signature initiative,” FDA would be directed to establish …
By Wes Siegner & Paul M. Hyman – The term “medical food” was first defined by statute in the Orphan Drug Act Amendments of 1988. The medical food category is closely related to the already existing category of “foods for special dietary use,” authorized by …
