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    • CSPI Petition Asserts that Sugar-Based Drinks are Unsafe and Requests that FDA Limit “Added Sugars” in BeveragesFebruary 19th, 2013

      By Riëtte van Laack – On February 13, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (“CSPI”) together with a coalition of 10 public health departments, 20 national health organizations, and 41 health and nutrition experts, submitted a 55-page petition to FDA requesting that FDA review …

    • Caronia Webinar – Slides and Audio Available for DownloadFebruary 8th, 2013

      On January 31, 2013, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. presented a webinar addressing the real-world implications from the Second Circuit decision in United States v. Caronia.  Panelists addressed the potential impacts to the pharmaceutical, devices, dietary supplements, and tobacco industries.  HP&M was quite pleased that …

    • FDA Consent Decree Calls for Retention of Food Labeling ExpertFebruary 8th, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA announced a somewhat unusual consent decree for permanent injunction in which a manufacturer of fruit and juice products agreed to retain a labeling expert (among other experts) to ensure compliance with applicable FDA regulations.  In part, the government alleged that the …

    • FDA Announces FSMA TourJanuary 31st, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA announced that it will host a series of public meetings on the recently issued proposed rules on preventive controls for human food and standards for produce safety.  Fact sheets on the proposed rules are available here and here.  The first meeting …

    • Coming Right Up: FDLI Food WeekJanuary 27th, 2013

      Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. is participating in the Food and Drug Law Institute's Food Week 2013 being held February 5 – 8 in Washington, D.C. This program provides an opportunity for food law, regulation and policy stakeholders to gather practical guidance on cutting-edge issues …

    • Real-World Implications of United States v. Caronia – A Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. WebinarJanuary 10th, 2013

      Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. will hold a complimentary webinar on Thursday, January 31, 2013, from 12:00 – 2:00 PM (Eastern) on the Second Circuit's recent and long-awaited decision in United States v. Caronia.  This webinar is not just another summary of the Second Circuit's decision. Nor …

    • On FSMA’s Second Anniversary, FDA Releases Two Major Proposed RulesJanuary 6th, 2013

      By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA released two long-awaited proposed rules to implement key provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA"): Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food and Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce …

    • Are Food Allergen Thresholds on the (Far) Horizon?December 27th, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal – Signaling potential movement on an issue that has bedeviled industry, FDA published a notice requesting comments “relevant to conducting a risk assessment to establish regulatory thresholds for major food allergens.”  Undeclared major food allergens continue to be one of the two principal …

    • When is Yogurt Not Yogurt? Judge Lets FDA DecideDecember 25th, 2012

      By Riëtte van Laack – District Judge Susan Nelson of the District of Minnesota recently concluded that FDA is best qualified and has been authorized by Congress to decide whether Milk Protein Concentrate (“MPC”) is a “proper, permitted ingredient in yogurt.”  Earlier this year, on March …

    • HP&M’s Diane McColl Tapped as New President of the International Society for Regulatory Toxicology and PharmacologyDecember 25th, 2012

      Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. is pleased to announce that Diane B. McColl has been elected to serve as the new President of the International Society of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (“ISRTP”).  ISRTP’s mission is to provide an open public forum for policy makers and …

    • In a Milestone for Regulation of Imported Foods, New Zealand and U.S. Food Safety Systems are Deemed ComparableDecember 18th, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA announced that it executed a Food Safety Systems Recognition Arrangement ("RA") with its counterpart in New Zealand, the Ministry for Primary Indsutries ("PMI").  The RA is the culmination of an assessment that began in 2010 and included both paper and on-site …

    • “Carcinogen-Free” Label Program Proposed in House BillDecember 12th, 2012

      By Etan Yeshua – Manufacturers of foods, drugs and cosmetics might possibly be able to label their products as “Carcinogen-Free” with federal approval.  In November, Rep. Theodore Deutch (D-FL) and Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) introduced the "Carcinogen-Free Label Act of 2012" (H.R. 6601), which would …

    • A Deep Dive Into the Second Circuit’s Caronia Decision, Potential Next Steps, and Potential Enforcement FalloutDecember 12th, 2012

      As we promised in an earlier post, we provide here a deeper analysis of the Second Circuit’s holding in United States v. Caronia and the context in which it should be viewed by industry. Since the 2004 Warner-Lambert settlement, the federal government has investigated hundreds …

    • In Litigation, FDA Explains and Defends FSMA EffortsDecember 11th, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal – We previously reported on a lawsuit that seeks to compel OMB and FDA to accelerate the implementation of FSMA.  Now the government has filed a motion to dismiss the case and for summary judgment.  The motion provides a full accounting of …

    • In a FSMA First, FDA Suspends a Food Facility’s RegistrationNovember 29th, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal & John R. Fleder – On November 26th, Commissioner Hamburg issued an order suspending the registration of the Sunland Inc. food manufacturing facility alleged to be at the heart of the ongoing recall of peanut products potentially contaminated with Salmonella.  Until the order …