OFW’s Food & Agriculture team regularly monitors announcements and policy issuances from FDA, USDA, and other agencies to keep our clients apprised of regulatory developments that may impact their business. Here are a few of the significant developments from July. If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- On July 8, 2026, FDA announced that it is hosting a public meeting on August 18-19, 2026, on Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) prevention. FDA provided that this meeting will be the first in a series of public engagements to discuss best practices for managing risks posed by Lm.
- On July 22, 2026, FDA announced two actions furthering the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda around synthetic color additives: (1) Issued a Final Order revoking the approval of Orange B as a food color additive, effective September 8, 2026, and (2) Proposed revoking the approval of Citrus Red No. 2 as a food color additive.
- On July 29, 2026, FDA announced it had reopened the comment period for the Request for Information (RFI) on Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) in human food and as a food contact substance. The new deadline to submit comments is August 31, 2026.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- From July 26-29, 2026, the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) hosted its Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, bringing together food safety professionals from industry, government, and academia. A key update came from USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Mindy Brashears, who introduced the pre-decisional Salmonella SAFE Strategy (Science, Action, Faster Response, and Efficient Control). The strategy emphasizes returning to core HACCP principles, using quantitative data to measure and control Salmonella, and increasing data sharing to improve food safety outcomes.
Other
- On July 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and USDA released their 2026 Unified Agendas of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which provides summaries of regulatory actions in various HHS and USDA agencies. The Unified Agendas are traditionally published twice a year, around the fall and spring, and contain the regulatory actions that the agency expects, but does not necessarily publish within the next twelve (12) months.
- On July 22, 2026, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee held an executive session to consider 11 health care and food policy bills, focusing on issues such as affordability, cost transparency, rural access, and prescription drug coverage. Two food-related bills passed and are now waiting consideration by the full Senate, including the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act (S. 5026), which would establish ultra-processed food labeling (UPF) and child advertising measures despite concerns about consumer costs, definitional clarity, and implementation challenges.
***
Please contact Kyla Kaplan ([email protected]) if you have any questions or are interested in additional assistance.
