Food & Nutrition

FDA Updates FOP Nutrition Labeling Webpage with Legal Authority Section

FDA updated the agency's webpage, Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling, to include a new “Legal Authority” section in which the agency affirmed FDA’s legal authority to convey certain nutrition information to the public on food packages. FDA intends to update the “Legal Authority” section of the Fall 2023 Unified Agenda Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling proposed rule entry for the Spring 2024 Unified Agenda with the corresponding statutory citations to reflect this information. 

FDA, USDA, and EPA Issue Joint Regulatory Plan for Biotechnology

FDA, USDA, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced the agencies collaboratively developed a Coordinated Framework to update, streamline, and clarify their regulations and oversight mechanisms for products of biotechnology. The plan supports a whole-of-government approach for the regulation of biotechnology products and incorporates processes and timelines to implement regulatory reform, such as identifying the potential need for new guidance or regulations. The agencies identified five major areas of biotechnology product regulation where these actions will focus, including modified plants and modified animals, and will implement several joint efforts, including to clarify and streamline regulatory oversight for genetically engineered plants, animals, and microorganisms. 

NASEM to Host Workshop on Communication of Food Production and Nutrition

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM) Standing Committee on Evidence Synthesis and Communications in Diet and Chronic Disease Relationships is hosting the workshop, Communication to Bridge the Gap Between Food Production and Nutrition and Health, on May 30, 2024. The workshop will explore issues related to communication among food producers, researchers, and consumers on agriculture and farming and their impact on nutrition and health. The event's speakers will also address approaches to communicating to the public about current and emerging agricultural practices and technologies, as well as ways to communicate information from researchers and consumers about diet, nutrition, and health needs to food producers. 

Study Suggests UPF Consumption Increases All-Cause Mortality Risk

A study published in the British Medical Journal examined the association of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, according to the NOVA classification system, with all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality risk. Researchers found that a higher intake of UPFs, averaging seven servings per day, was associated with a 4% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 9% higher mortality risk other than cancer or cardiovascular diseases, including an 8% higher risk of neurodegenerative deaths. The study also found that the mortality associations for UPF consumption varied across UPF subgroups, with meat/poultry/seafood based ready-to-eat products, sugar and artificially sweetened beverages, dairy based desserts, and ultra-processed breakfast foods showing the strongest and most consistent associations with all-cause mortality. 

On a related note, a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics examined adolescents’ perceptions, attitudes, and motivations regarding UPF consumption while using screens. Researchers found that the availability, palatability, and exposure to UPF advertising increased adolescents’ UPF consumption during screen time.

Food Safety

Study Examines Pesticide, Phthalate, and Heavy Metal Residue in Vegetables

A study published in Foods examined a series of various chemicals, including 120 pesticides, 18 phthalates (PAEs), and two heavy metals (e.g., lead and cadmium) in four vegetable commodities (e.g., lettuces, celeries, tomatoes, and cucumbers) from hydroponic and conventional soil-based cultivation. Researchers found pesticide residues in a larger number of conventional samples than in hydroponic samples, as well as significantly higher levels of lead and cadmium in conventionally grown produce. The study found that of the total samples, 53% contained at least one pesticide residue, 84% of conventionally grown vegetables contained at least one pesticides, and 30% of hydroponic samples carried detectable pesticide residues. PAEs were also detected in all samples and lead was found to be the primary heavy metal pollutant in all vegetable samples. Researchers suggest that the health risks of the consumption of hydroponic vegetables are lower compared to conventional soil-based vegetables.

Agriculture

FDA Publishes Final Rule to Enhance Safety of Agricultural Water

FDA published the final rule, Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water, that revises certain pre-harvest agricultural water provisions for covered produce in Subpart E of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. The final rule is intended to enhance the safety of water used for produce cultivation by establishing requirements for systems-based, pre-harvest agricultural water assessments for hazard identification and risk management decision-making. Compliance dates for the pre-harvest agricultural water provisions for covered produce begin on April 5, 2027 for very small farms, April 6, 2026 for small farms, and April 7, 2025 for large farms. The agency is hosting a webinar to provide an overview of the final rule on May 20, 2024.

Global

WHO Publishes 2022-2023 Programme Budget Report on SDG Progress

The World Health Organization (WHO) published its 2022-2023 Programme Budget Results Report to describe the agency’s progress towards meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The report summarizes the WHO’s achievements and challenges in implementing the programme budget and showcases advancements in several key areas, including healthier populations, universal health coverage, and health emergency protection. However, the report revealed that the world is off track to meet most of the UN’s SDGs by 2030, with progress insufficient to reach all the health-related targets, citing that the prevalence of adult obesity continues to rise in all WHO regions. WHO also affirmed that 53 countries have policies to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids in the food supply.

Fun Fact: The Bing cherry is the most produced variety of sweet cherry in the U.S.