The finalized labeling requirements for mechanically tenderized beef were released Wednesday and will go into effect in May 2016. Under the new rule, raw or partially cooked beef products must bear labels that state that they have been mechanically, blade or needle tenderized. The labels must also include cooking instructions — including the minimum internal…
USDA May Move Mechanically Tenderized Beef Labeling to 2016
While appearing before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said USDA will work to introduce labels for mechanically tenderized beef within the next two years. New labeling laws are implemented in two-year increments so that new label rules made in 2013 or 2014 will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2016.…
Close Vote on Oregon GE-Labeling Initiative Prompts Automatic Recount
Oregon’s automatic recount of Measure 92, which would require labeling of some foods with genetically engineered ingredients, is now underway. Election officials in the state’s 36 counties have until Dec. 12 to finish their hand recounts of Measure 92 ballots. The first count found that Measure 92 failed by just 809 votes out of about…
FDA Urged to Require Allergen Labeling for Sesame Seeds
As many as 500,000 Americans are estimated to be allergic to sesame seeds, but current rules on allergen labeling don’t include a requirement for them. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a Washington, D.C., consumer advocacy organization, is now asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to add sesame seeds to its…
DeLauro Urges OMB to Finalize Two Food Rules
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to finalize two pending food safety rules. DeLauro wrote to OMB director Shaun Donovan Monday, expressing her concern that if the mechanically tenderized beef rule and a rule regarding added solutions in meat and poultry products are not completed before the end…
Will Mechanically Tenderized Beef Labeling Be Pushed Back to 2018?
Long-planned efforts to place a label on mechanically tenderized beef may be delayed another two years — until 2018 — if they are not finalized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by the end of this year. For more than a decade, consumer groups and the…
Senators to Colleagues: Don’t ‘Pre-Emptively Weaken’ COOL
Over the summer, more than 100 members of Congress called for repeal of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) if the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled against the U.S. in its trade dispute with Canada and Mexico. This week, 32 senators wrote to the leaders of the Appropriations Committee, asking that they not deal with the labeling rule…
Sources: WTO Ruled Against U.S. on Country-of-Origin Labeling
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled against the U.S. in a trade dispute with Canada and Mexico over country-of-origin labeling for meat products, according to anonymous sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. The final ruling has been released to the governments involved with the dispute, but has not yet been officially…
How Much is Too Much? Report on Fortified Foods Tries to Answer That Question
Many Americans don’t get enough of the vitamins and minerals they should, but the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is now concerned that children and other vulnerable populations are exposed to excessive and unhealthy amounts in the foods they eat. The EWG report out Tuesday highlighted the levels of vitamin A, zinc and niacin in breakfast…
FDA Proposal to Put ‘Added Sugars’ in Nutrition Facts Panel Sparks Debate
Last week, legal analysts for OFW Law published a blog arguing that “Added Sugars” should not be included in the Food and Drug Administration’s revamp of the Nutrition Facts panel. “The White House seems to be pushing FDA to require more, including the disclosure of ‘Added Sugars,’ which may not be necessary or even…