This article discusses the recent wave of state bills on food additives that have emerged following the California Food Safety Act, FDA’s activities in an effort to get ahead of an inconsistent patchwork of legislation, and criticisms about these bills voiced by legislators, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
A bill has been introduced by California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-46), who was also behind the recently passed California Food Safety Act, to the California Assembly. Assembly Bill (AB) 2316 would prohibit food containing red dye 40 and titanium dioxide, among other color additives, from being offered by California public schools.
A recently introduced bill in New York State legislature seeks to seeks to establish requirements for the reporting of substances considered “generally ruled as safe” (GRAS).
The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which, if ratified, would require all packaging used in the EU to be recyclable, set restrictions on plastic packaging, and ban the use of toxic PFAS in food contact packaging.
States like California have been active in the past few years passing laws to regulate PFAS in products. So far, 12 states have enacted laws that ban or impose reporting or disclosure requirements for PFAS in products. As states continue to move forward with emerging PFAS product restrictions, those who manufacture, distribute, and sell such products must prepare for the changing legal landscape.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy for Consumer Reports, who lends his insight as a consumer advocate and former regulator to a discussion around food regulatory policy and food safety legislation. We dissect a variety of current events in food safety, such as toxic heavy metals in baby foods and food additives legislation, from multiple perspectives, including industry, consumer, regulatory, and consumer advocate.
The School Lunch Integrity Act of 2024, sponsored by Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Jon Tester (D-MT), would ban cell-cultivated meat from use in school meals.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Brian Sylvester, J.D., Partner in Perkins Coie LLP's Washington D.C. office and former U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Attorney-Advisor, to talk about the nationwide ramifications and precedent set by the recently passed California Food Safety Act banning four major food additives in the state.
In Arizona, one recently introduced bill (House Bill 2244) aims to ban lab grown meat, and another (House Bill 2121) would prohibit labeling of meat alternatives and cell-based meat as “meat.”
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we review the top food safety stories of 2023 and their implications, covering regulatory changes in the U.S. and abroad; growing concerns about chemical additives and contaminants, allergens, traceability requirements, infant formula, and retail foodservice safety; and the Poisoned documentary that premiered on Netflix in summer 2023.
