Food & Nutrition

RUF Releases Consumer Report on Understanding of FDA-Regulated Products

The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA released the report, Strategies for Improving Public Understanding of FDA-Regulated Products, to better understand how consumers and other stakeholders find, consume, and perceive health information as it pertains to FDA-regulated products. The Foundation identified five observations that identify challenges, opportunities, or other considerations for FDA, highlighting that 1) there is a lack of consumer understanding about the FDA’s mission, responsibilities, and authority, 2) FDA should be more proactive in listening for, spotting, and addressing health rumors or misconceptions before they escalate, 3) FDA should communicate more clearly and align around a more understandable and consistent tone of voice, 4) health messengers do not have easy access to necessary information and resources from FDA, and 5) FDA can do more to support consistent messaging across stakeholder groups.

Trust for America’s Health Hosts State of Obesity Event 

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) hosted a ‘State of Obesity’ event featuring discussions between senior government officials, national organizations, and community stakeholders about key progress and remaining work to collectively create pathways to a healthier America. During the event, Will McEntee, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement at the White House, shared the progress made by the Biden Administration following the one-year anniversary of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Additionally, James Jones, recently announced Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at FDA, shared that there are public health benefits that the agency is not capturing related to nutrition, highlighting the importance of reaching underserved communities in the agency’s development of a front-of-package (FOP) nutrition label and addressing foodborne illnesses more efficiently. This event follows TFAH’s recent publication of the 20th edition of its annual State of Obesity 2023: Better Policies for a Healthier America report. 

Study Examines Relationship Between Food Addiction and Ultra-Processed Foods 

A study published in the BMJ conducted an analysis of two systematic reviews, including 281 studies from 36 different countries, to examine the prevalence of food addiction using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) that assesses all 11 symptom criteria for substance use disorder in DSM-5, including diminished control over intake, cravings, withdrawal, and continued use despite negative consequences. Researchers found that ‘ultra-processed food addiction’ was estimated to affect 14% of adults and 12% of children. The study suggests that behaviors around ultra-processed food may meet the criteria for diagnosis of substance use disorder in some individuals and that viewing some foods as addictive could lead to novel approaches in the areas of social justice, clinical care, and public policy that may lead to taxation, labeling, and marketing efforts.

California Assembly Bill to Ban Four Food Additives Signed Into Law

The California State legislature signed into law AB 418, a bill that would prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of food products that contain brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye 3 in the state. This bill makes California the first state in the U.S. to ban these four additives from the food supply, effective January 1, 2027. The New York State legislature introduced similar legislation in both the Assembly and Senate that would prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of food products that contain brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, red dye 3, and titanium dioxide beginning January 1, 2025. These New York State bills have yet to pass either chamber.

Agriculture

USDA Announces Investments and Launches Partnership to Support School Meals 

USDA announced two new grant opportunities and a new training and technical assistance partnership to help schools continue to invest in nutritious school meals. USDA is accepting applications for the next round of the agency’s Farm to School Grants through January 12, 2024. Applications for the second phase of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative School Food Systems Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants will open in November 2023 and early 2024 and will fund projects promoting innovation in the school meals marketplace through collaboration between school food producers and suppliers. USDA is also partnering with the Urban School Food Alliance to provide training and tools to school districts to purchase high-quality foods and support schools with school meal procurement. This development of new tools and the organization of an advisory group of school nutrition stakeholders are expected to begin in early 2024.

Global

EU Sets New Reduced Limits for Nitrites and Nitrates as Food Additives

The European Commission (EU) set new limits for the use of nitrites and nitrates as food additives to protect against pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, and Clostridium botulinum, while reducing the exposure to nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogenic. These new stricter limits are based on a previous scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and are endorsed by EU member states. The limits take into account the diversity of products and their manufacturing conditions across the EU, as nitrosamines can be found in cured meat products, processed fish, cocoa, beer and other alcoholic beverages, processed vegetables, cereals, milk and dairy products, and fermented, pickled, and spiced foods. EU food business operators have two years to adhere to the new limits.

UK Updates Consumer Advice for CBD in Foods

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued new precautionary advice on cannabidiol (CBD), recommending healthy adults limit their consumption of CBD from food to 10mg per day. In February 2020, FSA published consumer advice that recommended healthy adults limit their consumption of CBD from food to 70mg of CBD per day. This updated advice from FSA's independent scientific committee suggests that intake levels greater than 10 mg CBD per day may contribute to the development of adverse effects on the liver based on the average lifetime exposure to food products containing CBD, such as drinks, oils, sweets, bakery items or drops. 

BEUC Publishes Chemical Report and PFAS in Food Packaging Recommendations

The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) published a new chemical compilation report of recent product tests between 2017 and 2023 that highlights the need for improved chemical legislation, including per-and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) and other chemicals of concern, in the EU. BEUC calls on policymakers to advance its 2020 Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability to ban PFAS in food packaging and the prompt adoption of EU's proposed universal PFAS restriction. BEUC recommends that policymakers advance this strategy by 1) phasing out all harmful chemicals from consumer products, 2) better enforcing existing legislation in the market, 3) increasing transparency about chemicals present in consumer products, 4) promoting safer alternatives and ensuring they do not pose similar risks to human health and the environment, and 5) strengthen import controls to prevent the sale of products that may pose risks to consumer health and/or contain substances already banned in the EU.

Fun Fact: A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day.