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John Block: Trans-Pacific Partnership 2016

By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Agriculture is an industry that depends heavily on exports with some 30% of...

CPSC: Navigating an Unmarked Channel

Last week, Commissioners Buerkle and Mohorovic each issued a statement on a civil penalty settlement involving glass tumblers manufactured by...

“Voluntary” FDA Sodium Targets May Bind Food Companies

FDA yesterday released so-called “voluntary” targets for sodium reduction for 150 categories of foods. A spreadsheet issued by the agency...

FSMA Final Food Safety Rule: Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food against Intentional Adulteration

FDA has finalized a new food safety rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that is intended to help...

The Peat Goes On: Supreme Court Holds Wetlands Jurisdictional Determinations Are Appealable

Peat miners, golfers, and landowners with real property containing or adjacent to Waters of the United States will benefit greatly...

John Block: GMOs Are Safe

By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Hopefully, we are beginning to set the record straight. We have heard so...

George McGovern: My Turn

Every election year, former Senator George McGovern (SD), the 1972 Democratic Nominee for President, seems to find his way back...

FDA Nixes “Evaporated Cane Juice” as Ingredient Name

Pursuant to consideration of public comments submitted on its October 2009 draft guidance document (see our prior article here), FDA...

FDA Issues Final Regulations for Nutrition Facts Labeling and Serving Size Changes

FDA has issued final regulations changing the requirements for the Nutrition Facts label required on almost all foods since 1994....

Are Your Employees Still Exempt From Overtime Under the New Department of Labor Regulation?

The Department of Labor this week announced a final regulation that changes the tests for determining whether executive, administrative, and...

FDA Finalizes Guidance Document about Medical Foods

FDA has updated and published its Guidance for Industry: Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Foods; Second Edition (05/12/2016). The guidance...

John Block: Peanuts

By former USDA Secretary John R. Block As a farmer, I would not like it if Europe shipped subsidized beef...

Final Menu Labeling Guidance Issues: Setting Effective Date for Menu Labeling Final Rule

FDA has published a Level 1 guidance document, entitled “A Labeling Guide for Restaurants and Retail Establishments Selling Away-From-Home Foods—Part...

$380 Million Keepseagle II Settlement Reached

As published in Agri-Pulse The landmark civil rights lawsuit by Indian farmers and ranchers against the Department of Agriculture for...

EU-US Regulatory Cooperation: Strides Made, but More Can Be Done

Earlier this week, the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center released a significant report, “International Regulatory Cooperation: Benefits, Limitations, and...

In Memoriam: Robert A. Hahn

Our dear colleague, partner and friend, Robert A. (Bob) Hahn passed away on April 20, 2016, at the age of...

NYT: Mosquito vs. Mosquito in the Battle Over the Zika Virus

Please see Dr. Nina Fedoroff and former USDA Secretary John Block’s op-ed featured in the New York Times on April...

Medical Privacy Update: OCR Issues Revised Audit Protocol For Phase II

As a foundation for moving forward with Phase II of its Audit Program of Covered Entities (CEs) and their Business...

Another FSMA Final Rule: Sanitary Transportation of Food

FDA has issued a final rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food. The rule creates new requirements for...

Where are the “Farmers and Ranchers for Donald J. Trump”? Let alone for Ted Cruz?

Anyone who has spent time around political circles in Washington, D.C., knows that, by this point in a presidential campaign,...

CPSC Issues Record $15.45 Million Civil Penalty

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Gree Electric Appliances Inc., of Zhuhai, China; Hong Kong Gree...

Expect More Food Labeling Changes Even After FDA Finalizes its New “Nutrition Facts” Regulations

FDA is scheduled to issue regulations finalizing its proposed Nutrition Facts label soon according to the US Regulatory Agenda. Many...

John Block: Ag Day

By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Last week was Ag Day. In fact, it was an Ag Week. Agri-Pulse...

A Tale of Two Maps: Why Crop Insurance Is Different.

People often ask why Washington has to involve itself at all in providing crop insurance to American farmers. After all,...