The California Longitudinal Study, a five-year environmental study of California’s Central Coast produce-growing region, identified wildlife, livestock, and surface water as potential contributors to the persistence and movement of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).
AB 2034 aims to tighten oversight of ingredients used in foods sold in the state that have entered the food supply without a formal FDA safety review through the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) process.
CalRecycle has issued a final draft of the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54), which establishes an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program to manage packaging and single-use plastic. Western Growers shared concerns about the produce industry’s ability to qualify for categorical exclusion.
In a survey of California fast food employees, 47 percent of respondents reported seeing serious food safety issues at work in the past year, more than half of which went knowingly unresolved by management, and 37 percent who reported food safety issues said they faced retaliation for doing so.
A new Southern California-based study found that food safety may play a role in UTIs. Genomic analysis of Escherichia coli isolates from UTI patients and retail meats linked 18 percent of UTIs to E. coli strains of animal origin, suggesting foodborne transmission.
A massive wave of consumer class actions targeting food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers is sweeping across industries as the plaintiffs' bar aggressively targets product labeling and advertising under California's consumer protection statutes. Companies should be aware of these practices and develop a plan to lessen the risk of receiving such claims.
In his veto letter, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he agreed with Senate Bill 682’s goal of phasing-out “forever chemicals” from consumer products, but said the bill would sacrifice Californians' ability to afford household products like cookware.
Senate Bill 68 (SB 68), titled, the Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences Act (ADDE), will apply to chain restaurants with 20 or more locations by January 1, 2026.
Assembly Bill (AB) 1264, titled, the Real Food, Healthy Kids Act, establishes a legal definition for ultra-processed foods, and tasks the state Department of Public Health with identifying and banning particularly harmful ultra-processed foods from California schools.
California Assembly Bill (AB) 1264 has passed the Senate, and now awaits final approval before being sent to the Governor. AB 1264 would define “ultra-processed foods” (UPFs), and would require “UPFs of concern” to be identified and phased out of schools.
