By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA has a web page devoted to the Food Safety Modernization Act (“FSMA”) that provides ready access to useful information on the new law and on FDA’s implementation activities, including: the text of the law; Q&A’s; descriptions of the work groups charged with implementation; the text …
By Ricardo Carvajal – At FDA’s public meeting on the food import safety provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA") (see our prior blog posting here), the challenges posed by implementation of those provisions started to take shape. Presentations by agency personnel, industry representatives, and …
By Ricardo Carvajal – The Supreme Court affirmed a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that allows a securities fraud class action to go forward against Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. ("Matrixx") for allegedly violating § 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5. As …
By Ricardo Carvajal – Last week FDA published a Q&A that explains steps the agency is taking to ensure that foods imported from Japan are safe. Currently FDA does not believe there is any risk to the U.S. food supply, but is continuing to gather information …
By Riëtte van Laack – On March 4, 2011, FDA issued a warning letter to Goetze’s Candy Co. Inc., because the addition of calcium to Goetze’s Caramel Cream Chocolate goes against FDA’s food fortification policy, 21 C.F.R. § 104.20. Goetze marketed its product with the (impermissible) …
By Jennifer D. Newberger – One of the tasks of the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) is to make recommendations that will result in cost savings and/or improvements in program efficiency and effectiveness. Unfortunately, as we are …
By Ricardo Carvajal - In an upcoming issue of the Federal Register, FDA is announcing a public meeting scheduled for March 29 to solicit comment on the import safety provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA"). At the meeting, appropriately titled “Food Safety Modernization Act; …
By Susan J. Matthees – The USDA’s Economic Research Service (“ERS”) recently published an article titled “Will Calorie Labeling in Restaurants Make a Difference?” that considers the potential impact of the new menu labeling requirements for chain restaurants. As we previously reported (here and here), § 4205 …
By Ricardo Carvajal – In a letter directed to Attorney General Eric Holder, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asked the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) for an update on its investigation of the Peanut Corporation of America (“PCA”) and its president, Stewart Parnell. According to the letter, FDA …
By Cassandra A. Soltis – The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (the 2010 Dietary Guidelines), released by the federal government last week, were clearly drafted with the U.S. obesity epidemic in mind. In addition to encouraging consumers to exercise more and reduce calorie consumption, the guidelines …
By Peter M. Jaensch – In what appears to be yet another example of a consumer fraud class action that cites alleged violations of the FDC Act and its implementing regulations, on February 1, 2011, Athena Hohenberg filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court …
By Ricardo Carvajal – Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) reintroduced legislation to strengthen criminal penalties for food safety violators in the form of the Food Safety Accountability Act of 2011. As with the version of the bill introduced last year, the current version would amend Title 18 …
By Susan J. Matthees – FDA is withdrawing its draft guidance titled “Draft Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Implementation of the Menu Labeling Provisions of Section 4205 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010,” which was published in August 2010. As …
By Ricardo Carvajal – When FDA issued a report on the Reportable Food Registry ("RFR") 7 months after the RFR’s implementation, the agency cautioned that it was “too early to draw inferences concerning patterns of food and feed adulteration.” Not so in the agency’s first annual …
By Ricardo Carvajal – The Government Accountability Office ("GAO") issued a report recommending in part that FDA “identify and request from Congress the authorities needed to access evidence from food companies regarding potentially false or misleading structure/function or other claims on food that would allow the …
