Kelly Damewood

Kelly Damewood is licensed to practice law in Oregon and calls Portland her home. She is the 2013-14 Marler Clark Graduate Assistant at Food Safety News, and a LLM Candidate in Agriculture and Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law. Kel

Safely Integrating Urban Agriculture With Urban Living

I was involved in urban agriculture before I heard of “urban agriculture.” In 2009, I worked on a farm and helped a community garden in Portland, OR. At that time,

By Kelly Damewood

/ 2 May 2014

Two Apolitical Ways to Support Local Food Safety

You’ve heard it before: “Support your local farmer,” “Eat local,” “Buy local,” etc. But have you heard the term “Support local food safety?” We could argue about the definition

By Kelly Damewood

/ 25 Apr 2014

Controversy Continues Over Listing Evaporated Cane Juice on Ingredient Labels

Recent action by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may smooth the path for food manufacturers to continue to declare sweeteners derived from cane syrup (such as sugar)

By Kelly Damewood

/ 21 Apr 2014

Tribes Still Troubled by FDA’s ‘Inadequate’ Consultation Policy

With less than 30 days notice, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally set a date for face-to-face consultation with American Indian tribes and pueblos on its proposed

By Kelly Damewood

/ 14 Apr 2014

Industry Associations Hope FSMA Rules Won’t Duplicate Marketing Agreements, Orders

National and regional marketing agreements and orders may give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) some options as it continues to issue and revise rules to implement the

By Kelly Damewood

/ 7 Apr 2014

Food Ingredients: Trade Secrets vs. Public Disclosure

Can a food manufacturer determine that an ingredient is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and maintain trade secrets information on that ingredient? The answer to this question may be more

By Kelly Damewood

/ 17 Mar 2014

Is the GRAS Process Broken?

From spices to preservatives, U.S. food manufacturers have access to thousands of globally sourced substances to enhance the flavor, texture, and appeal of their products. But some question whether

By Kelly Damewood

/ 26 Feb 2014

What About Marijuana Food Safety?

A considerable paradox exists in U.S. food policy. Although the federal government has named food safety as a top priority, an entire pocket of the food industry remains largely

By Kelly Damewood

/ 20 Feb 2014

Tracing Food Controversies Back to GRAS

Update: This article has been edited to remove references to caramel coloring. What do trans fat, caffeine and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have in common? Each of these distinct, seemingly

By Kelly Damewood

/ 10 Feb 2014

The GRAS Process: How Companies Legally Add Ingredients to Food

Do you ever wonder how controversial ingredients end up in your food in the first place? For instance, why are energy drink companies allowed to add novel ingredients such as

By Kelly Damewood

/ 30 Jan 2014

When Does a Cottage Food Law Become a House Food Law?

Last week on Food Safety News, Dan Flynn wrote an article discussing Virginia’s plans to loosen its cottage food laws. Cottage food laws are basically laws that allow small-time

By Kelly Damewood

/ 27 Jan 2014

FSMA's Small Farm Exemption Has Its Limits

Food and farm advocates seem to agree that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is somewhat limited in what it can do for small farmers and producers as

By Kelly Damewood

/ 17 Dec 2013

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Kelly Damewood

Safely Integrating Urban Agriculture With Urban Living

Two Apolitical Ways to Support Local Food Safety

Controversy Continues Over Listing Evaporated Cane Juice on Ingredient Labels

Tribes Still Troubled by FDA’s ‘Inadequate’ Consultation Policy

Industry Associations Hope FSMA Rules Won’t Duplicate Marketing Agreements, Orders

Food Ingredients: Trade Secrets vs. Public Disclosure

Is the GRAS Process Broken?

What About Marijuana Food Safety?

Tracing Food Controversies Back to GRAS

The GRAS Process: How Companies Legally Add Ingredients to Food

When Does a Cottage Food Law Become a House Food Law?

FSMA's Small Farm Exemption Has Its Limits