In mid-December, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced a bill that would move the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its seafood inspections to the U.S. Department of the Interior. More broadly, the act transfers all functions of the U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce to a newly established Department of Commerce and the Workforce. In doing so, a handful of offices would be moved elsewhere, including NOAA (currently under Commerce) to Interior. Burr said that the consolidation of “duplicative programs” would reduce spending. “The president has proposed merging and consolidating federal agencies several times over his two terms, and this bill advances that proposal,” Burr said in a statement. NOAA’s fee-for-service Seafood Inspection Program offers inspections for businesses to demonstrate food regulation compliance and become eligible for stamping with official marks, such as U.S. Grade A, Processed Under Federal Inspection and Lot Inspection. In January 2012, the director of the Office of Management and Budget said that if Congress were to grant President Obama the power to consolidate federal agencies, the White House would want to merge food safety agencies into one. The president’s first plan to merge six business-oriented and trade agencies also included a plan to move NOAA to the Department of the Interior.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
Federal law allows food companies to use chemicals designated as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) without having them subject to review by the Food and Drug Administration. The New York law would help close that loophole.
An agency in the Isle of Man has been told to look again at a food hygiene request after initially refusing to release information.
The Information Commissioner upheld a complaint
More than two-thirds of stores selling fish do not consistently follow food safety regulations, according to inspection findings from the Dutch food agency.
Most violations concerned the failure to list
As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or
On April 10 the Washington State Department of Health advised the FDA of a recall of certain shellfish because of norovirus-like illnesses associated with consumption of raw oysters.
The recall
Silver Moon LP dba Loard’s Ice Cream of San Leandro, CA, is recalling all products sold in retail-sized packaging because they were distributed without ingredient labeling and therefore they
