Food & Nutrition

USDA Launches New Nutrition Hub Under ASCEND for Better Health Initiative 

USDA announced the launch of a new pilot Nutrition Hub under the Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health (ASCEND for Better Health) initiative, launched in December 2022. The Nutrition Hub, informed by community conversations, will provide science-based, nutrition-related information at the community level, particularly in underserved communities disproportionately impacted by diet-related chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. USDA intends to leverage the Nutrition Hub to increase the impact of its collective human nutrition research programs, develop more precise science-based solutions and resources, and advance the public’s understanding of real-world opportunities and challenges around food, nutrition and diet-related health disparities. This Nutrition Hub and ASCEND for Better Health initiative supports President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative to advance cancer prevention in the U.S.

USDA FNS Publishes Final Rule to Expand CEP Availability for Free School Meals

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published the final rule, Community Eligibility Provision: Increasing Options for Schools. The final rule amends the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) from 40% to 25% to allow states and schools greater flexibility to offer meals to all enrolled students at no cost. Currently, eight states, including California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Vermont passed state laws allowing schools to serve healthy school meals to all students at no cost. The final rule takes effect October 26, 2023.

Tufts University Food is Medicine Institute Publishes True Cost of Food Report 

The Tufts University Food is Medicine Institute published the report, True Cost of Food: Food is Medicine Case Study, that evaluates the health equity and economic benefits of medically tailored meals (MTMs) and produce prescription programs. The report found that the national implementation of MTMs in Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance for patients with both a diet-related condition and limited ability to perform activities of daily living could avert approximately 1.6 million hospitalizations and result in an estimated net savings of $13.6 billion in health care costs within the first year of implementation. Additionally, the report indicated that national implementation of produce prescription programs for patients with both diabetes and food insecurity could avert 292,000 cardiovascular events and add 260,000 quality-adjusted life years. Tufts University is hosting a webinar to launch its Food is Medicine Institute on October 18, 2023, from 1-3 p.m. EST.

Study Suggests Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Increases Risk of Mortality 

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examined the association of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, according to the NOVA classification system, with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Researchers found that an increased consumption of UPFs were associated with a 17% increase in the risk of CVD mortality and a 16% increase in the risk for all-cause mortality. The study suggests that greater UPF consumption was associated with increased all-cause and CVD mortality risk, but was not associated with cancer mortality risk.

FDA Publishes Chapters of Draft Guidance for Preventive Controls for Human Food

FDA announced the availability of two new chapters to the draft guidance, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food, designed to help food facilities comply with the preventive controls for human food rule mandated by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. The two chapters, Chapter 11 - Food Allergen Program and Chapter 16 - Acidified Foods, are two of many chapters that have been added since the draft guidance was first published in 2016. The new chapter on food allergens explains how to establish and implement a food allergen program that ensures protection of food from major food allergen cross-contact and how to ensure that the finished food is properly labeled with respect to the major food allergens. Additionally, the new chapter on acidified foods explains how manufacturers, processors, or packers of acidified foods can use established procedures, practices and processes to meet requirements in the acidified foods regulations to satisfy requirements under the preventive controls for human foods rule. Comments on this updated guidance are due March 25, 2024.

On a related note, FDA updated its Food Traceability Final Rule FAQs to provide additional information about the agency’s Product Tracing System (PTS) and explain how the agency intends to conduct initial inspections. FDA is currently developing an internal PTS to receive and analyze industry’s food traceability data and effectively trace food within the U.S. The agency will be conducting all cause inspections in 2026 and will begin routine inspections in 2027.

GAO Publishes Report on Detection, Exposure, and Treatment of PFAS

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a snapshot report outlining its work on government and other efforts to better detect per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurrence in drinking water, limit human exposure to PFAS, and treat PFAS contamination. The agency’s work identified actions that could be taken to achieve these efforts, recommending that 1) EPA conduct a nationwide analysis using comprehensive data to determine the demographic characteristics of communities with PFAS in their drinking water, 2) FDA request specific legal authority from Congress to compel companies to provide information they have about substances already on the market that come in contact with food, and 3) DOD develop an approach to implement the prohibition on procuring certain PFAS-containing items and update its sustainable procurement guidance to implement PFAS-related policies and legislation.

Agriculture

Congress Introduces NO TIME TO Waste Act to Reduce Food Loss and Waste

Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced the New Opportunities for Technological Innovation, Mitigation, and Education To Overcome Waste (NO TIME TO Waste Act) in both the House and the Senate. This bill would 1) authorize the existence of collaboration between the USDA, EPA, and FDA to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030, 2) establish an Office of Food Loss and Waste at USDA, 2) foster a food loss and waste prevention and reduction environment in the U.S., and 4) start a public awareness and education campaign at USDA. 

FAIRR Publishes Report on Agri-Food Regenerative Agriculture Commitments

The Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return (FAIRR) initiative published a report to conduct a baseline analysis of 79 publicly listed agri-food companies and their disclosures on regenerative agriculture to better understand the corporate landscape of regenerative agriculture commitments and initiatives. In the report, FAIRR found that 63% of companies mention regenerative agriculture initiatives in their disclosures, 36% have quantified company-wide targets for regenerative agriculture, 16% discuss metrics and data to measure progress, and 8% have targets to financially support farmers to deploy regenerative practices. The report recommended that these companies 1) be transparent when communicating regenerative strategies and be inclusive of climate, nature, and social outcomes, 2) establish targets and pilot programs to demonstrate intent, ambition and accountability, 3) establish metrics to encourage greater adoption of practices, demonstrate progress, and allow for comparability across programs, and 4) work closely with farmers and their communities to de-risk the transition of change.

Global

EU Approves Rules to Ban ‘Climate Neutral’ Claims on Food and Beverage Products

The European Commission (EU) announced a provisional agreement on new rules within its proposal for an EU-harmonized legislative framework on green guide environmental claims. In the updated proposal, environmental claims, such as ‘environmentally friendly,’ ‘natural,’ ‘biodegradable,’ ‘climate neutral,’ or ‘eco’ would be banned without proof of ‘recognised excellent environmental performance’ relevant to the claim. The updated rules will also ban the use of claims based on emissions offsetting schemes that a product has a ‘neutral,’ ‘reduced’ or ‘positive’ effect on the environment. This proposal also seeks to set requirements for sustainability labels to be verified by an independent third party, such as the EU Ecolabel, and claims or labels using aggregate scoring of the product’s overall environmental impact will no longer be permitted, unless established by EU law. The proposal will be voted on by the EU Parliament and the Council, expected to take place in November 2023.

Fun Fact: Tomatoes are a fruit, but in 1893 the U.S. Supreme Court declared them a vegetable for tariff, import, and custom purposes.