National food safety laws are coming in for attention around the world and the latest to look at changes is Nepal. The government in Kathmandu wants to amend its Food Safety Act to broaden the definition of food and define more types of malpractice in food trade. The changes in the law are being designed to control food adulteration and “other wrongdoings.” A spokesman for the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) said the changes will involve all types of edibles, but not tobacco or cosmetics. Nepal law currently defines adulteration as that involving food. The changes will add chemical residues, microbes and toxins to the adulteration category. Government action will also come faster with the changes. Currently, DFTQC can only file violations. with a district administrative office. And fines will be increase by about 20 times current rates. It will also focus on customs entry points. Nepal’s existing food act was written in 1967. It establishes four areas where misconduct could be found: selling contaminated food, selling sub-standard products, running a food business without a license and receiving compensation payments. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
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