None of the exposures to the five additives and flavorings assessed presented a health concern for the EU population. The pilot helped identify shortcomings in the monitoring framework that will be rectified for future reports.
In an April 29 Congressional hearing considering 28 active food safety bills, U.S. Representatives and witnesses from industry and consumer protection groups debated federal preemption of state food safety laws, GRAS and chemical ingredient oversight, and FDA–state
information-sharing during outbreaks.
Samples were tested for arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, PFAS, pesticides, and phthalates/plasticizers. When toxic heavy metals were detected in some samples, it was at levels far below EPA drinking water limits.
Improvements in national food safety infrastructure by the 17 countries included in the analysis would cost an estimated $492 million USD over ten years, but would avert 19 million cases of foodborne illness and 13,000 associated deaths, generating a value of $23 billion.
According to the European Commission, NGTs have the potential to contribute to sustainable agri-food systems and help respond to food security challenges. The new rules would separate plants developed through NGTs from legislation applying to GMOs.
The Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act of 2026 would give FDA the authority to shareinformation with state and local regulatory agencies with shared responsibility for protecting public health.
The Seventh Annual Meeting of the International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF), a summit convening the heads of international food safety agencies and senior representatives from the Codex Alimentarius Commission, concluded in Auckland, New Zealand, on April 24.
The draft bill proposes sweeping reforms to FDA’s food safety oversight, including GRAS process changes, infant and baby food safety provisions, and federal preemption of state laws. Consumer groups say the FRESH Act’s GRAS reforms and federal preemption language would weaken U.S. food safety.
Among other provisions, the Food Labeling Modernization Act would set conditions for the use of the terms “natural” and “healthy,” expedite the creation of a front-of-pack nutrition labeling system, and improve ingredient list readability.
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