The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Food Safety have not been able to come to an agreement on a proposed schedule of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) deadlines despite a court
Continue Reading FDA Won't Set Specific FSMA Deadlines Despite Court Order
Helena Bottemiller
Helena Bottemiller is a Washington, DC-based reporter covering food policy and politics for Food Safety News. She has covered Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court, and several high-profile food safety stories, including the half-billion Salmonella egg recall and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Helena’s work has appeared in the Columbia Journalism Review, NBC News, and elsewhere. She has appeared on BBC, CNBC, and is widely cited by mainstream and niche media. She tweets about food and agriculture policy at @hbottemiller.
Senate Panel Approves Bill With FDA Funding Increase; House Begins Farm Bill Debate
Two key food and agriculture measures inched forward on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. A Senate appropriations subcommittee approved a bill that would increase funding at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by $53 million for…
Continue Reading Senate Panel Approves Bill With FDA Funding Increase; House Begins Farm Bill Debate
House Advances Funding Bill That Bans Horse Slaughter, Gives FDA Small Boost
The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a $19.45 billion funding bill to support the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, among other agencies, for fiscal year 2014. The bill…
Continue Reading House Advances Funding Bill That Bans Horse Slaughter, Gives FDA Small Boost
Senate Approves Farm Bill Without Major Food Safety Amendments
The Senate approved a farm bill on Monday evening 66 to 27. The legislation, which has a $955 billion price tag over the next decade, would end direct payments to farmers and boost subsidized crop…
Continue Reading Senate Approves Farm Bill Without Major Food Safety Amendments
Weak Food Safety Culture Led to XL Foods Recall, Review Finds
Company and Canadian Food Inspection Authority (CFIA) staff at XL Foods had a lax approach to food safety leading up to the massive beef recall last fall, according to an independent review released by the…
Continue Reading Weak Food Safety Culture Led to XL Foods Recall, Review Finds
Health Professionals Ask Obama to Take Stronger Action on Antibiotics in Ag
Citing the growing threat from antibiotic resistant infections, nearly 800 health care professionals signed onto a letter sent to the Obama administration on Tuesday urging more limits on antibiotics used in food animal production. “Current…
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Smithfield Sale Raises New Questions About the Future of Ractopamine
The sale of Smithfield Foods, the United States’ largest pork producer, to Shuanghui International, China’s largest meat company, raises new questions about the future of ractopamine, a controversial growth-promoting drug that is widely used in…
Continue Reading Smithfield Sale Raises New Questions About the Future of Ractopamine
Putting Food Traceability at Consumers' Fingertips
Imagine that you’re in the produce section at the grocery store. You pick up a container of leafy greens with a QR (quick response) code on the label and you pull out your smart phone.
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Merrigan Expresses Worry About FSMA's Impact on Agriculture
Kathleen Merrigan, who recently left her role as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said this week she is concerned about the negative impact the Food Safety Modernization Act could have…
Continue Reading Merrigan Expresses Worry About FSMA's Impact on Agriculture
As Canada Moves Forward, Rule to Label Mechanicallly Tenderized Meat in U.S. Still Stuck at OMB
A U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal to require labeling for mechanically tenderized meats, which can be risky if pathogens are pushed into the cut beyond the exterior and the meat is not thoroughly cooked, has…
Continue Reading As Canada Moves Forward, Rule to Label Mechanicallly Tenderized Meat in U.S. Still Stuck at OMB