It may not be quite the single national food agency that is so often advocated, but if the vision for the FDA’s “reimagined” Human Foods Program pans out the way it is proposed, this agency will, at least, be a...

With USDA’s declaration of its newly published Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule as “the biggest update to the organic regulations since the original Act in 1990,” it carries echoes of the passage of FSMA which has often been cited as...

In July 2022, the FDA extended the dates for compliance with the pre-harvest agricultural water provisions of FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule (PSR). However, the extension applies only to pre-harvest provisions; both the harvest and post-harvest ag water provisions are in...

In the spring of 2022, we saw the introduction of Senate Bill 4316 which would, if passed, update the 2016 Substances Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) rule to significantly increase the process and the regulatory oversight of GRAS substances. At...

In FDA’s sixth revision of the Food Code, which has been in place for 30 years in its current format, the 2022 edition provides updated food safety guidance and standards for retail and foodservice operations. Although the Food Code is...

Supply chain issues have been a day-to-day factor for the food industry since nearly the beginning of the pandemic. While there’s little question that a light has appeared at the end of the tunnel, there is less certainty about an...

From heavy metals and chemical residues to repercussions from produce contamination and infant formula adulteration and shortages, 2022 became a year of regulatory embarrassment and new regulations – which we’d expect to lead to some rough times in 2023 for...

In a previous article, we noted the focus that federal regulators had begun placing on the retail food industry, and the latest Guidance Document for Direct-to-Consumer and Third-Party Delivery Service Food Delivery proves that once again. The guidance released by...

Evaluations of FDA’s performance and programs are nothing new. Just this year, the agency has been the subject of reviews by Congress, GAO, AFDO, its own internal personnel, and, most recently, that of the independent Reagan-Udall Foundation in its Operational...

With food labels being the primary source of information on a product’s ingredients – particularly for those who have food allergies – FDA issued new draft and final guidances in November, both of which are titled: Questions and Answers Regarding...