Regulatory Watch

VQIP application portal open through May

April 13, 2020

The FDA opened the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) application portal on Jan. 1, 2020, for the benefit period between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021.

Regulatory Watch

Final IA supplemental draft guidance released

Sharon Spielman

April 6, 2020

The FDA has released its third and final supplemental draft guidance to support compliance with the Intentional Adulteration Rule under FSMA.

Coronavirus

FDA eases nutrition labeling rules to help processors sell restaurant food

Restaurants also could sell some ingredients without nutrition labels to customers, retailers

Rose Shilling

March 27, 2020

The FDA is relaxing nutrition labeling requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow manufacturers to sell some packaged food that restaurants aren’t buying to retailers experiencing surging demand.

Industry News

Food and bev groups: Coronavirus rule confusion causes delays in parts of U.S.

60 associations urge government to clarify CPG industry exemption from curfews, group limits

Rose Shilling

March 18, 2020

Groups representing most every corner of the nation’s food and beverage supply urged government officials to heed federal guidelines to allow CPG manufacturers to keep making and moving out goods at full steam.

Regulatory Watch

Glucomannan added to definiton of dietary fiber

Sharon Spielman

March 9, 2020

The FDA intends to propose that "glucomannan" be added to the definition of dietary fiber.

Regulatory Watch

Biotechnology regulation website launched

Sharon Spielman

March 9, 2020

The FDA, Department of Agriculture and EPA launched a unified website for biotechnology regulation.

Regulatory Watch

FDA issues final guidance for nutrition labeling regulations

Sharon Spielman

February 11, 2020

The FDA has issued final guidance to help manufacturers of packaged foods comply with the updated Nutrition Facts labeling regulations, which addresses serving sizes of foods, including single-serving foods and other foods that can reasonably be consumed at one eating occasion and require dual-column labeling.

Regulatory Watch

FDA reopens comment period for UF milk

Sharon Spielman

February 11, 2020

The FDA has reopened the comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register of Oct. 19, 2005, entitled “Cheeses and Related Cheese Products; Proposal to Permit the Use of Ultrafiltered Milk.”

Regulatory Watch

Decreased assessment rate proposed for tart Michigan cherries

January 6, 2020

A proposed rule issued by AMS would implement a recommendation from the Cherry Industry Administrative Board to decrease the assessment rate established for 2019-20 and subsequent fiscal years.

Regulatory Watch

California almond accepted user program revised

Sharon Spielman

January 6, 2020

The USDA issued a final rule that requires California almond accepted users to dispose of inedible material within 6 months of receipt, submit public weighmaster weight certificates within 10 business days of receipt of inedible material, and submit an accepted user plan annually.