News & Insights
Agriculture Trumped in the Primaries
By Marshall Matz, as published in Agri-Pulse As far as politics goes, there is one and only one issue that...
2015 In Retrospect
Happy New Year, readers! Yet another year has come and gone. I hope that 2015 was a good year for...
Database for Dietary Ingredient Content of Dietary Supplements
Scientists from the Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Nutrient Data Laboratory, part of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, and the...
John Block: What Did We Get Done In 2015?
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block The U.S. Congress didn’t get much done this year until December. Agriculture had...
Beef and Pork are Now Un-COOL, and That’s a Good Thing
America’s meat industry and our trading partners engaged in a collective sigh of relief on Friday. Prior to embarking on...
Doom and Gloom Certified as Lead Instructors for FSCPA Preventive Controls for Human Food
Happy Holidays from OFW Law’s Dr. Barbara Masters, D.V.M., and Jolyda Swaim, A.K.A Dr. Doom and Ms. Gloom. As 2016...
John Block: Repeal COOL
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block The World Trade Organization ruled this week that Canada and Mexico can impose...
Speaker Ryan Suggests SNAP May Be On the 2016 Agenda
New House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) is getting a lot of attention for a speech he made on December 3...
John Block: This & That – The Politics of the Day
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block On the one hand, it makes me smile, and on the other, it...
ITC to Study Economic Effects of TPP, Invites Stakeholders to Participate
Following a request from the U.S. Trade Representative, the International Trade Commission (ITC) has instituted an investigation, Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement:...
John Block: TPP
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Last week, six former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture released a letter urging the...
FDA Seeks Input on the Meaning of “Natural” for Foods — First Impact of FDA Action Will Be on Class Action Cases
For over two decades, when assessing the propriety of a “natural”-type claim (e.g., “natural,” “all natural,” “100% natural,” “from nature,”...
John Block: 2015 Dietary Guidelines – Will They Be Credible?
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block USDA and HHS are close to issuing the 2015 version of the Dietary...
GMO Regulatory Reform: The Way Forward
As we detailed in an earlier blog post, the White House issued a July 2nd executive memorandum on “Modernizing the...
John Block: European Trade Deal
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block The Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement is sitting in Congress now. It was...
Killer Coffee Mugs?! Really?!
By former CPSC Commissioner Nancy Nord Did anyone else notice CPSC’s recent recall of ceramic mugs? The agency is concerned...