Manufacturing News

Regulatory Watch

The USDA has finalized its decision to make milk price regulation more consistent for all dairy processors, including those who operate their own dairy farms.


Uniformity for milk prices      



Producer-handlers with more than three million pounds of Class I sales per month will become fully subject to federal order pricing and pooling regulations in all federal milk marketing areas. In addition, the limit exempting any handler from pricing and pooling provisions remains at 150,000 pounds of Class I sales per month.

Dairy industry representatives mostly applauded the final rule. Bob Yonkers, chief economist for the International Dairy Foods Association, said his group, along with the National Milk Producers Federation, had argued that exempting all producer-handlers from federal order pricing and pooling provisions would continue to create “disorderly marketing conditions.”


Misleading health claim warning to 17 manufacturers     

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to 17 food companies that it says are mislabeling food products. The FDA says the labels violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The warning letters went to Dreyers Grand Ice Cream, Gorton’s, Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Spectrum Organic Products, Beech-nut, PBM Products, Nestle, Nestle Nutrition, Redco Foods, Sunsweet Growers, Fleminger, POM Wonderful, Ken’s Foods, Pompeian,  Diamond Food, First Juice, Want Want Foods and Nature’s Path Foods, Inc.

“Today, ready access to reliable information about the calorie and nutrient content of food is even more important, given the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in the United States,” said FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, in the letter.

She also expressed hope that the letters would clarify the FDA’s expectations for food manufacturers as they review current labeling.

The violations cited in the letters include unauthorized health claims, unauthorized nutrient content claims, and the unauthorized use of terms such as “healthy,” and others that have strict, regulatory definitions.

Companies that received warning letters were given 15 business days to inform the FDA of the steps they will take to correct the labeling.

Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to Food Engineering Magazine.

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Multimedia

Videos

Image Galleries

Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference and Expo 2013

Images from Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference and Expo in Naples, Florida, April 14-17, 2013.

Podcasts

Burns & McDonnell Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)-certified corporate sustainability reporting (CSR) specialists discuss:

  • What is a CSR?
  • What is the GRI and the Food Processing Sector Supplement?
  • Why are companies producing CSRs?
  • What are latest CSR trends?
More Podcasts

Plant sanitation

What is the largest barrier to modernizing plant sanitation in your operation?
View Results Poll Archive

THE MAGAZINE

Food Engineering Magazine

fe may 2013 cover

2013 May

Check out Food Engineering’s May 2013 issue, featuring stories on Food Packaging, Lift Trucks and Food Safety.
Table Of Contents Subscribe

THE FOOD ENGINEERING STORE

Food-Authentication-Flyer-(.gif
Food Authentication Using Bioorganic Molecules

This text provides critical tools and data needed to augment routine food analysis and enhance food safety by aiding in the detection of counterfeit, and potentially deleterious, foods.

More Products

Clear Seas Research

Clear Seas ResearchWith access to over one million professionals and more than 60 industry-specific publications,Clear Seas Research offers relevant insights from those who know your industry best. Let us customize a market research solution that exceeds your marketing goals.

Food Master

Food MasterFood Master 2013 is now available!

Where the buying process begins in the food and beverage manufacturing market. 

Visit www.foodmaster.com to learn more.

STAY CONNECTED

facebook_40.pngtwitter_40px.pngyoutube_40px.pnglinkedin_40px.png