As this blog has previously covered, various states have passed laws prohibiting plant-based products from being labeled like traditional meat products. A recent Oklahoma law bans using terms like beef, chicken, or bacon to...more
Everyone is likely aware that the FDA is one of the agencies tasked with the job of overseeing and ensuring the safety of the nation’s food supply. Have you considered how the cost of the food safety regulatory work of the...more
You have probably heard the term “ultra-processed food.” What does that mean? Unprocessed food probably requires little explanation. For example, a whole raw apple that has not been cut, cooked or otherwise prepared would be...more
All of us have probably had the experience of browsing the aisles at the grocery store looking for healthy foods to take home for our families. A few foods we find may include the word “healthy” on the packaging. Did you know...more
A year ago, the FDA issued draft guidance for lead levels in baby foods. In the year since the FDA issued its draft guidance for lead levels in baby food, two states, California and Maryland, have adopted laws which require...more
1/16/2025
/ Baby Products ,
Compliance ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Lead ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
Product Safety Labels ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Toxic Chemicals
The cell cultivated meat industry has had its difficulties with funding, technology and regulatory barriers and the roller coaster ride is not over. In 2021 and 2022, $1.6 billion in venture capital investments went into the...more
In this blog, we have written a number of times on the topic of cultivated, i.e., lab grown meats. Last year, the FDA gave final regulatory approval for two different companies to sell their cultivated chicken in the United...more
The practice of altering plant genetics to better suit human needs, dates back thousands of years. What was once done through selective plant breeding – as well as alterations beyond what is possible with selective breeding –...more
You have probably heard that scientists around the world are searching for sustainable, climate safe ways to keep up with the steadily increasing demand for protein sources to feed the World’s population. According to the...more
Reports of a recall of apple cinnamon fruit pouches for children have been prominent in the headlines for the last few weeks. This blog has previously covered the topics of lead in spices and the FDA’s January 2023 issuance...more
In June of this year, the USDA approved the label of “cell-cultivated chicken” to be used for the sale of laboratory grown chicken. It also issued grants of inspection to Upside Foods and Eat Just (GOOD Meat), authorizing...more
Would FDA testing of feedlots for bacteria promote safer vegetables? Would it decrease the availability of and increase price of meat? You might ask, what do feedlots have to do with vegetables? Concentrated Animal Feeding...more
On March 4, 2021, we wrote about lawsuits concerning alleged high levels of heavy metals in baby foods (“Are Your Baby’s Strained Carrots Safe? Considerations for Manufacturers”). A precipitating factor was a staff report...more
3/13/2023
/ Arsenic ,
Baby Products ,
Children's Products ,
Draft Guidance ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Contamination ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Food Supply ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Lead ,
Mercury ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Toxic Chemicals
Cultured meat and its introduction into our grocery stores and restaurants is on the horizon. The FDA has established a premarket consultation process which allows companies who would like to market cultured meat in the U.S....more
Could cultured meat be available in your U.S. grocery store in the new year? A previous article focused on the topic of “cultured meat” – meat made from the cells of animals and grown in a nutrient medium. While no cultured...more
When you go to the grocery store or farmer’s market and buy produce (I prefer the latter), do you consider how safe the produce is? If you are anything like me, perhaps you have wondered about the regulatory requirements...more
For a variety of reasons, including celiac disease and autism diets, numerous people now follow a gluten free diet. Gluten is the term applied to a group of proteins found in grains such as wheat, rye, spelt, and barley. ...more
Do you know where your last meal came from? Can you trace your vegetables to the field where they were grown? Do you know where the goat whose milk was used to make your feta lives? Why would you even want to know the...more
Cell-based or cell-cultured seafood products (seafood products grown in a bioreactor from tissue specimens from fish / seafood) are not yet commercially available, but the FDA is working to decide how they will be labeled. ...more
Are baby foods subject to stricter standards than adult foods? The short answer is, not really. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has specific guidelines for baby formulas, labeling requirements for baby and...more
While most people have probably never heard of a Food Safety Plan, these plans are critically important to manufacturers and consumers alike. A Food Safety Plan tracks the creation and packaging of the food from the...more
M-E-A-T has become a complicated word. A variety of alternative meat products are on the market or in development. Plant-based meat substitutes are already commonplace in our grocery stores and restaurants. Some of these...more
2/19/2021
/ Bioengineering ,
Comment Period ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Supply ,
Life Sciences ,
Meat Processing Plants ,
Plant Based Products ,
Research and Development ,
USDA
By now, most of us have seen plant-based “meat” in supermarkets and restaurants. For one of those plant-based meat substitutes, ImpossibleTM Burger, a lawsuit is underway challenging the FDA’s approval of the compound used to...more
Food poisoning is an experience that no one is likely to ever forget. Some of the common bacteria that cause foodborne illness include Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), Salmonella (S. enterica), and Escherichia coli...more
Produce production requires lots of water — water for irrigation, water for cleaning tools and facilities, water for cleaning the produce, etc. Water used on farms can come from a variety of sources — from wells, ponds,...more