Tag: FDA

FDA issues voluntary sodium reduction guideline, wins lawsuit over its GRAS rule

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USA – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has released voluntary sodium reduction guidelines for 163 categories of processed food, including baby food, snacks and foodservice items.  According to a statement from the food regulator, the guidelines, which have been pending since 2016, are nonbinding recommendations for manufacturers and foodservice to follow for the next two and a half years in order to cut down on the average consumer’s sodium intake.  Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock and Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Director Susan Mayne noted in a joint statement these targets will help reduce average sodium…

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CBD safe for use in food as it does not cause liver damage- Validcare

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US – A new study conducted by Validcare at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed that Cannabidiol (CBD) products do not cause liver damage when taken orally. The seven-month analysis which evaluated the impact of CBD on liver health through clinical trials involving 839 participants comes on the heels of a summer 2019 study involving mice that suggested that there may be a link between CBD and liver damage. Its results allay a lot of fears by food industry players who may have feared…

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US Food and Drug Administration approves use of “Potassium Salt” on ingredient labels

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US – The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the term “Potassium Salt” by manufacturers using potassium chloride as a substitute for salt. The decision is the result of a 2016 petition from NuTek Food Science, a clean-label ingredients company which was advocating for more consumer-friendly terminology. Potassium chloride is a naturally occurring salt that is used in food because it has the benefits of boosting potassium intake and reducing the use of conventional salt.  It previously had to be referred to on ingredient…

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US Food and Drugs Administration approves first genome-altered animal for human consumption

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US – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved genome-altered pigs for human consumption, a first for the food industry in the globe. The approval was granted to the regenerative medicine company Revivicor, which intends to sell meat by mail order, rather than supermarkets The pig’s genome is said to be altered through a method called intentional genomic alteration (IGA) for the purpose of eliminating the alpha-gal sugar on the surface of the pigs’ cells,  a substance that people with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) may have a mild to…

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Food facilities in US required to renew their registration with FDA before end of the year

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US – The United States Food and Drug Administration has directed that all human and animal food facilities both local and foreign must renew their registration this year before December 31. Owners and operators of food facilities must submit their renewal information electronically through their FDA Industry Systems account, unless they have received a waiver to submit a paper submission. The US food agency further noted that it will consider the registration of a food facility to be expired if the facility does not renew its registration by the stipulated…

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Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority bans packaging of alcoholic drinks in plastic bottles

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RWANDA – Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has prohibited the packaging of alcoholic drinks in plastic bottles as they pose a threat to both consumers health and the environment. The directive, according to New Times Rwanda was issued on November 18, 2020, and signed by Dr. Charles Karangwa, Ag. Director-General of Rwanda FDA. Rwanda FDA has highlighted that packaging alcoholic drinks in plastic bottles leads to adulteration as some of those packages are made of chemicals which get re-activated and dissolved in the drink following prolonged exposure to heat…

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FDA Ghana formulates specialized licensing scheme for small-scale food processors

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GHANA – The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of Ghana has approved 134 products to be introduced to the market under its Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS) for micro, cottage, and small-scale food processors, in a bid to improve on the safety, quality and wholesomeness of the products. The PLS which was launched in July 2020 is a government of Ghana initiative, implemented by the FDA to introduce a three (3) staged licensing regime to support small business units. It has the objective of accelerating the growth of the local food…

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US Food agency proposes updating allergy label if risky portion of ingredient is removed

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US – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed exempting an ingredient derived from a major food allergen if the protein has been eliminated or altered to the point where it no longer poses a risk to a person. Current legislation in the US requires foods to declare the presence on the product label of what it calls “major food allergens,” such as milk, sesame, eggs, fish, tree nuts, crustacean shellfish, wheat, peanuts and soybeans. The US agency proposed that an ingredient could obtain an exemption by submitting…

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FDA launches program to evaluate alignment of third-party food safety standards with regulations

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USA – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a voluntary pilot program to evaluate alignment of private third-party food safety audit standards with the food safety requirements. Under the program, third party food safety standards will be evaluated on their alignment with two regulations: the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) – the Preventive Controls for Human Food (PC Human Food) and the Produce Safety rules. In a statement, FDA said that the pilot program will help the industry better understand how to determine whether these standards align…

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USDA and FDA sign MoU for export of dairy products from US

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USA – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the export of milk and milk products from the United States. The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), said that the two agencies play critical roles in facilitating foreign sales of American-made dairy products, which is recognized and appreciated by the U.S. dairy industry. USDEC and NMPF worked with both agencies to advance this new approach to…

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