Food & Nutrition

OMB Completes Review of USDA FNS WIC Food Package Final Rule 

The Office of Management and Budget has completed its long-awaited review of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) final rule, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages. The final rule would update the WIC food packages to align with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) and recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) 2017 scientific report, Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice. The proposed rule, released in November 2022, proposed changes to increase benefits for fruits and vegetables, reduce the amount of juice allowed, adjust whole grain options and requirements, and allow for more non-dairy options, among other items. According to the Fall 2023 Unified Agenda, the agency intends to formally publish this final rule later this month. 

HHS and USDA Publish Article Addressing Misinformation Regarding DGA Process

An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, authored by key HHS and USDA leaders, aimed to correct misinformation regarding the process to develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). The article outlined how the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) is formed and vetted, how the agency considers the scientific evidence on nutrition and health, and the select information included in the Committee's development of its scientific report. Leaders highlight that the DGAs is based on rigorous scientific evidence and the process to develop the DGAs continues to evolve to improve transparency, rigor, and relevance to the U.S. population. The article intends to act as a resource to provide nutrition educators, policymakers, and researchers with information about the DGAs that may help better support the population shift to a healthy dietary pattern, achieve better health, and reduce the burden of chronic disease.

Senators Send Letter Concerning Reclassification of Potatoes Under DGAs

A bipartisan group of 14 senators, spearheaded by Susan Collins (R-ME) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra expressing opposition to the potential reclassification of potatoes as a grain rather than a vegetable, amid reports concerning the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) process. In the letter, the Senators argued that reclassifying potatoes as a grain instead of a vegetable would result in confusion among consumers, retailers, restaurant operators, and growers across the supply chain, and would go against a 2013 National Library of Medicine Study which indicates that potatoes be included in the vegetable group. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans process is currently underway, with the final two Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee public meetings scheduled on May 30, 2024 and September 26, 2024. 

Study Examines Debate on Ultra-Processed Foods and Impact on NCDs

A study published in Nutrients conducted a narrative review to examine the ongoing debate and association between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and its impact on the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the U.S. The study found that there is a lack of evidence to substantiate a direct relationship between the extent of processing and the health status of consumers, and that food classification systems, such as the popularized NOVA classification system, lack appropriate levels of standardization, resulting in potentially misleading food categorizations. Researchers suggest that future research is needed to identify the mechanisms affected by UPF consumption and their association with chronic disease risk, leverage innovative technology to create food classification frameworks, and that the food industry incorporate military ready-to-eat meal formulation standards for future UPF reformulation and whole-food formulation to create ‘health-enhancing’ products for consumers.

On a related note, a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics examined the association between UPF intake and chronic insomnia. Researchers found that UPF intake was associated with an increased risk of chronic insomnia, serving as the first large epidemiological study to examine such association.

Food Safety

FDA Publishes Consumer Update on Food Chemical Safety

FDA published a consumer update on the agency’s assessment of the safety of chemicals in food to help consumers navigate information about these chemicals in the food supply. The agency highlights how FDA assesses the safe amount of a chemical in food by comparing the amount someone is likely to consume in a day, among several other factors when examining a food’s chemical safety, including the known safety of the chemical, the amount of the chemical in food, the amount and types of food that include the chemical a person would likely eat or drink, and the groups of people who may be particularly sensitive to such chemical. FDA notes that while the agency and industry share the responsibility of ensuring the safety of food, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure they market food that meets FDA’s requirements and that the agency will act when chemicals are in food at unsafe amounts. This update follows recent state action proposing to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of food products that contain select food chemicals in the food supply.

Agriculture

Congress Sends Letter to Request Seafood-Focused Priorities in 2024 Farm Bill  

Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and 35 bipartisan members of Congress sent a letter to Agriculture Committee leaders of the House and Senate requesting several seafood-focused priorities to be included in the 2024 Farm Bill. The group, representing a range of seafood harvesters, processors, and businesses, urged for the establishment of a new Office of Seafood Policy and Program Integration at USDA, support for seafood procurement from small and midsize seafood businesses across USDA nutrition programs, and the extension of eligibility for certain USDA grants and loans to U.S. seafood producers and businesses. 

USDA to Host Webinar to Promote Competition Under Packers and Stockyards Act

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is hosting a webinar for livestock producers, poultry growers, and regulated entities to share information regarding the Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity under the Packers and Stockyards Act Final Rule. The final rule, published on March 6, 2024, establishes standards under the Packers and Stockyards Act, prohibiting practices relating to discrimination, retaliation, and deception in contracting to promote inclusive competition and market integrity in the livestock, meats, poultry, and live poultry markets. The final rule is part of a suite of Packers and Stockyards Act rules proposed by the agency to increase competition in agricultural markets, lower grocery costs for consumers, and strengthen local and regional food systems. The final rule will go into effect on May 6, 2024.

Global

UN Publishes 2024 Food Waste Index Report 

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) published its 2024 Food Waste Index Report to provide a global estimate on food waste at retail and consumer levels, offer guidance for countries on improving data collection, and suggest best practices in reducing food waste. The report emphasizes the action needed on food waste reduction to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to halve per capita global food waste and reduce food losses along production and supply chains by 2030. The 2024 Food Waste Index Report builds on the agency’s 2021 Food Waste Index Report by providing new data used to develop a new estimate of global food waste and expanding the SDG food waste measurement methodology to provide more detailed guidance on measurement at the retail, food service, and household sectors. The report recommends multi-stakeholder collaboration through public-private partnerships as a potential solution to reduce food loss and waste and alleviate food insecurity in achieving this goal.

Canada Opens Public Consultation on Review of Safe Food for Canadians Act

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) opened a public consultation on the scheduled five-year review of the country's Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA). CFIA is seeking public input on provisions and operations of the SFCA, including the challenges with implementing the food safety and consumer protection requirements, comments or challenges related to SFCA's powers and procedures related to food inspection and investigation, and challenges related to the provisions and operations, including the administration and enforcement of the SFCA. This public consultation aims to determine if the SFCA meets its objectives of improving food safety and consumer protection oversight across all food commodities, having effective legislative authorities across food commodities, and enhancing market access opportunities for the Canadian food industry. The consultation is open until May 27, 2024.

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