Food & Nutrition

USDA ERS Publishes 2022 Household Food Security in the U.S. Report

USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) published its annual Household Food Security in the United States in 2022 report. The report provides statistics on food security in U.S. households based on the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement data collected in December 2022 that provides insights on household food security, food expenditures, and use of Federal food and nutrition assistance programs. The report's findings highlight that the prevalence of food insecurity and very low food security increased for most subgroups of U.S. households from 10.2% in 2021 to 12.8% in 2022. Child food insecurity also increased from 6.2% in 2021 to 8.8% in 2022. 

OMB Completes Review of FDA Proposed Rule on Brominated Vegetable Oil

The Office of Management and Budget has completed its review of the FDA proposed rule, Revocation of Authorization of Use of Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food. The proposed rule would amend FDA regulations to remove the authorization of the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) as a food ingredient. BVO is currently authorized for use as a stabilizer in flavoring oils in fruit-flavored beverages. According to new scientific information FDA reviewed as part of the agency’s reassessment of the ingredient demonstrates that ‘there is not a reasonable certainty of no harm from the continued use of BVO in food.’

Consumers, Industry, and Regulators Partner to Launch FDA Foods Coalition

According to Consumer Reports, a coalition of consumer advocates, food industry representatives, public health groups, and state and local regulators launched the FDA Foods Coalition to educate policymakers, media, and the public about improving the governance of the FDA Human Foods Program. The Coalition also plans to advocate and work alongside FDA to implement changes for an effective and modernized Human Foods Program. Specifically, the Coalition hopes to facilitate and support greater transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement within the agency.

CSPI Publishes Report on Utilization and Perception of Food at Dollar Stores

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) published a report featuring findings from a national survey that examined consumer dollar store perceptions, dollar store utilization and shopping patterns, and opportunities to make ‘healthy’ food choices easier at dollar stores. The national survey found that 1) community members had overall positive perceptions of dollar stores, 2) convenience, affordability, and selection of specialty items motivated shopping at dollar stores, 3) low-quality products, product availability, store appearance, and inadequate staffing deterred shopping at dollar stores, 4) dollar store food shopping was secondary to big box stores and supermarkets but played a larger role for shoppers utilizing SNAP, and 5) community members strongly supported increasing healthy food and beverage options at dollar stores. At the federal level, CSPI recommends strengthening SNAP retailer stocking standards and establishing SNAP retail marketing standards, such as ‘healthy’ checkout lanes to place healthy options in prominent store locations.

Study Examines Nutrient Intake Between Animal-Based and Plant-Based Diets

A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the replacement of a diet consisting of animal-based proteins with plant-based alternatives (PBA) to determine if a diet composed of alternative plant-based proteins has a similar nutritional profile to a plant-based diet. Researchers found that replacing sources of animal proteins with PBA proteins resulted in a 22.2% reduction in protein, a 16.8% reduction in fat, a 7.5% increase in carbohydrates, and a 71.2% increase in fiber. The study suggests that the nutritional impact of substituting animal-based proteins for PBA may benefit bone health and individuals on a caloric restriction diet. Researchers suggest that researchers and manufacturers consider these findings when developing alternative protein products to meet consumer demands for plant-based products.

FDA Publishes FY 2021 Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report in Foods

FDA published its annual report, Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Fiscal Year 2021 Pesticide Report, that summarizes findings from the agency’s testing of human and animal foods for approximately 750 different pesticides and selected industrial compounds from October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021. The report’s findings showed that the levels of pesticide chemical residues in the U.S. food supply are generally in compliance with EPA pesticide tolerances. Specifically, 96.7% of human food domestic samples and 89.3% of imported samples were compliant with federal regulations and no pesticide chemical residues were detected in 35% of domestic samples and 44.5% of imported samples. FDA’s pesticide residue monitoring program tests FDA-regulated foods shipped in interstate commerce to determine whether they comply with the pesticide tolerances or maximum residue levels set by the EPA.

National Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods to Host Public Meeting

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) is hosting a public meeting November 14-16, 2023. The three-day meeting will feature the NACMCF Secretariat who will introduce the newly appointed members for the 2023-2025 Committee term, introduce a new charge from FSIS on genomic characterization of pathogens, and continue the Committee's work on FDA's Cronobacter spp. in powdered infant formula charges. The plenary session featuring the full Committee will be held on November 14, followed by concurrent subcommittee meetings November 14-16, 2023. The deadline to provide oral public comment is November 8, 2023. 

Agriculture

Legislatures Introduce Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2023

Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act in both the House and the Senate. The bill would reduce the production and use of certain single-use plastic products, improve the responsibility of producers in the design, collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal of consumer products, and prevent pollution from consumer products from entering into animal and human food chains. Specifically, the legislation would create an extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy, establish reduction targets for single-use plastic products and beverage containers, create a nationwide beverage container refund program, prohibit retailers from selling beverage containers that contain toxic substances and from providing or selling single-use plastic bags, ban certain single-use plastic products that are not recyclable, and direct FDA to study the presence and sources of microplastics in food and drink products, among others. 

EPA Publishes Reports on Environmental Impact of U.S. Food Waste

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published two reports to address food waste in the U.S. The report’s research represents the first time EPA has quantified methane emissions from landfills. The first report examines the environmental impacts of disposing of food waste, and the second report estimates the quantity of methane emissions released into the atmosphere from landfilled food waste from 1990 to 2020. The agency also updated its Food Recovery Hierarchy to include a new ranking, the Wasted Food Scale, that reflects the most recent technological advances and changes in operational practices. These reports support EPA’s efforts and research to reduce food waste to provide a better understanding of the net environmental footprint of U.S. food waste.

Global

Denmark Publishes National Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods

Denmark published the world's first national Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods that outlines how the country will transition towards a more plant-based food system, with initiatives to advance the production and consumption of plant-based foods. The action plan, part of the country’s 2021 political agricultural agreement, provides an overview of initiatives that strengthen plant-based foods throughout the value chain and promotes the Danish plant-based sector, including increasing consumption in public sector kitchens, an emphasis on plant-based diets in schools, the expansion of exports of locally produced vegan food through embassies, and the investment of more research and development in the sector.

Fun Fact: The fear of vegetables is called "Lachanophobia."