The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finalized new regulations, proposed earlier this year, governing the processing of fruit and vegetable juices. The new rules require the application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles to the processing of these foods. FDA said it sought the new rules "because there have been a number of food hazards associated with juice products." The agency said a system of preventive control measures is the most effective and efficient way to ensure that these products are safe. The new HACCP mandate will be phased in over three years, with large processors required to meet the requirement by January 22, 2002. Smaller firms will have until January 21, 2003 to meet the new rules, while very small firms will have until January 20, 2004.

Residue tolerances set for buprofezin
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has adopted a final rule establishing tolerances for residues of buprofezin in or on almonds; banana; citrus; citrus, oil; citrus, dried pulp; grape; grape, raisin; milk; fat (cattle, goats, hogs, horses, sheep); meat byproducts (cattle, goats, hogs, horses, sheep); liver (cattle, goats, hogs, horses, sheep). The regulation, which became effective September 5, 2001, was requested by Aventis. The tolerance levels are temporary, and will expire July 31, 2005. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect the tolerance for the sum of residues of the tetracyclines in milk previously established but inadvertently removed in a subsequent amendment. The amendment would also reflect the correct tolerance of 0.3 part per million oxytetracycline in milk.