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  • Riëtte van Laack

    • The Food Labeling Modernization Act Is Back Again…April 12th, 2018

      On April 2, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. introduced the Food Labeling Modernization Act (FLMA) of 2018, an updated version of the FLMA of 2015. As we previously reported, the FLMA of 2015 was an updated version of the FLMA of 2013. The FLMA of 2018 differs …

    • Got Skim Milk? Dairy Farmer Sues FDA Over its Skim Milk RequirementsApril 10th, 2018

      On April 5, 2018, the Institute for Justice (IJ), on behalf of South Mountain Creamery (South Mountain), filed a complaint against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, stating that the Agency is violating …

    • Second Circuit Affirms Preemptive Effect of Organic Food Production Act; a Clear Case of Conflict PreemptionApril 4th, 2018

      For anyone not familiar with the legal framework governing “organic” claims, first a brief summary. The Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) established a process for organic certification by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program (NOP). Under the …

    • Alliance for Natural Health Asks FDA to Fix IND GuidanceMarch 30th, 2018

      In September 2013, FDA issued a final guidance addressing when, according to FDA, companies need an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for clinical studies in humans. The final guidance created quite a stir, as it included several sections that had not been included in the …

    • The Wait is Over: USDA Withdraws the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices RuleMarch 21st, 2018

      On March 12, 2018, the USDA announced its decision to withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) final rule that was published on January 19, 2017. As previously discussed, the OLPP was essentially an animal welfare rule, establishing minimum indoor and outdoor space requirements for …

    • GAO Report Confirms the Obvious: Food Safety Has Been Driving the Bus at FDA’s FVM ProgramMarch 13th, 2018

      On March 5, 2018, GAO released to the public a report titled “Food Safety and Nutrition: FDA Can Build on Existing Efforts to Measure Progress and Implement Key Activities.” The report confirms that FDA’s Food and Veterinary Medicine (FVM) Program has been primarily preoccupied with …

    • FDA Issues Final Guidance on Dietary Fiber and Guidance Regarding Implementation of the 2016 Nutrition Labeling RulesMarch 2nd, 2018

      On March 1, 2018, FDA announced the release of several guidance documents: final guidance on Scientific Evaluation of the Evidence on the Beneficial Physiological Effects of Isolated or Synthetic Non-digestible Carbohydrates Submitted as Citizen Petition; final guidance on Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed: List of Products …

    • FSIS Proposes Egg Products HACCP Rule That Expands JurisdictionFebruary 19th, 2018

      On February 13, 2018, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a proposed rule that would amend the egg products inspection regulations. The proposal had been announced on January 9, 2018. The 48-page proposal (including the preamble) covers more than a change in …

    • Traditional vs Clean Meat: Cattlemen Ring the Bell for Round 1February 15th, 2018

      Clean or cultured meat are terms used for animal muscle produced by growing cells directly rather than via the rearing and slaughtering of an animal. The idea of growing meat (or muscle) from cells outside the body (in vitro) to produce a product that replicates …

    • FDA Publishes First Installment of Guidance Regarding Preventive Controls Requirement for Animal FoodFebruary 6th, 2018

      On Monday, January 21 (amid the government shutdown) the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the Food and Drug Administration (CVM) released a draft guidance document addressing Subpart C of the Agency’s regulation titled “Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food …

    • USDA and FDA Announce Intent to Improve and Increase Coordination and CollaborationFebruary 5th, 2018

      On January 30, 2018, Dr. Gottlieb of FDA and Secretary Perdue of the USDA announced that they had signed a formal agreement to make the coordination and collaboration between the two agencies more efficient and effective. The USDA has jurisdiction over most meat, poultry, catfish, and …

    • Proposed Legislation to Reform the OTC Drug Monograph SystemFebruary 1st, 2018

      On January 17, 2018, in an effort to overhaul the regulation of over-the-counter (OTC) monograph drugs, U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson and Bob Casey introduced bipartisan legislation, the Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act, S.2315. As readers of this blog know, the current monograph system, which …

    • Joint Action by FDA and FTC Against Companies Marketing Unapproved Opioid Cessation ProductsJanuary 31st, 2018

      On January 24, 2018, FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) posted joint warning letters to 11 marketers and distributors of opioid cessation products, alleging that those products were unapproved new drugs that violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDC Act) and made …

    • FTC Staff Publishes Guidance for Multi-Level MarketersJanuary 17th, 2018

      On January 4, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the release of a new guidance by FTC staff concerning Multi-Level Marketing (MLM). The guidance, in the form of questions and answers, addresses issues relevant for businesses evaluating their compliance with the FTC Act. Multi-level marketing is …

    • FDA “Finalizes” Rule on Health Care Antiseptic Drug Products Ahead of TimeJanuary 2nd, 2018

      As previously discussed, pursuant to a consent decree, FDA was to finalize the over-the-counter (OTC) topical health care antiseptic drug products monograph with respect to triclosan by January 15, 2018. Rather than limiting the rulemaking to the single active ingredient, triclosan, FDA took it upon …