With headlines focused on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the rapidly unfolding drama surrounding the repeal and replace efforts, one aspect of the ACA that could easily fly under the radar has been the subject of its own ongoing legal battles: menu labeling. To …
As we reported a couple of months ago, the naming of plant-based products continues to be an issue. For at least two decades, there has been uncertainty as to the use of the term “milk” and other dairy terms for products derived from plant material …
Earlier this week, USDA/AMS posted “Proposed Rule Questions Under Consideration” on its web page dedicated to the establishment of a National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. The posting asks for comment on 30 questions relating to different aspects of what such a standard might entail. Most of …
Last month we reported that FDA decided to delay the compliance date for restaurant menu labeling from May 5, 2017 to May 7, 2018 while it reconsiders certain aspects of the final menu labeling rule. The Agency requested comments from industry and other stakeholder about …
As readers of this blog know, in May 2016, FDA issued a final rule amending the nutrition labeling regulations for food and dietary supplements. Major amendments include a new requirement to declare “added sugar,” the setting of a daily value for added sugars (but not …
As we previously reported, FDA recently extended the compliance date for its restaurant menu labeling regulations to May 8, 2018. Just one day before the previous (May 5, 2017) compliance date, FDA published an interim final rule (IFR) that delayed compliance for one year and …
On June 13th, FDA’s Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling “announced” that it intends to extend the compliance date for the new Nutrition Facts requirements. As we previously reported, FDA received several citizen petitions requesting an extension of the compliance date. In addition, some in …
As readers of this blog know, natural claims have been and continue to be a frequent basis for consumer class actions. Initially, lawsuits appeared to focus on natural claims for foods (and dietary supplements). However, natural claims for personal care products also have become a …
A coalition of consumer advocates filed a lawsuit challenging FDA’s final rule that formally established the GRAS notification system. The complaint alleges that the rule “unlawfully subdelegates statutory authority to private parties,” that the “secret GRAS system is contrary to the FDCA,” and that the “criteria for …
Cue up “For The Love of Money” by The O’Jays (and theme song of The Apprentice) . . . The Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Proposal is out! On May 23, 2017, The White House Office of Management and Budget released President Trump’s Fiscal Year …
A citizen petition (Docket No. FDA-2017-P-2626) recently submitted to FDA asks the agency to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to the regulatory prohibition on interstate shipments of milk products that have not been pasteurized (21 CFR 1240.61). There have been previous petitions asking FDA to allow the …
FDA has again decided to delay the compliance date for its regulations governing calorie labeling for menus and menu boards at restaurants and similar retail food establishments. In an unpublished Interim Final Rule (IFR) released on May 1 (and scheduled to be published in the …
On April 10, 2017, the American Bakers Association (ABA) submitted a Citizen Petition and a Petition for Stay of Action on FDA’s new definition of dietary fiber in 21 C.F.R. § 101.9(c)(6)(i), and the accompanying recordkeeping requirement in 21 C.F.R. § 101.9(g)(10) and (11). By way …
Although the First Amendment has been more often discussed in the context of drug and medical device promotion, the Eleventh Circuit recently evaluated whether claims for a food also deserve similar constitutional scrutiny. In Ocheesee Creamery LLC v. Putnam, the Eleventh Circuit considered whether the …
The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) has issued a strategic plan for the 5-year period beginning in 2017. This is the second such plan issued by IFSAC, a collaboration between FDA, USDA/FSIS, and CDC that aims “to improve coordination of federal food safety analytic efforts …
