Food & Nutrition

Senators Send Letter to HHS Requesting Information on DGA Review Process

Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and John Boozman (R-AR) sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra requesting information on how the agency is developing the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). In the letter, the Senators request that the agencies answer a series of questions by April 29, 2024, urging HHS and USDA to provide greater transparency regarding the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) scientific review process, specifically concerning its review of alcohol and sugar intake guidelines. The questions seek to provide clarity on how the DGAC is engaging with stakeholders in reviewing the scientific evidence, how the agencies review DGAC members for potential conflicts of interest, and how the DGAC will incorporate public comments submitted from the FDA’s November 2023 added sugar consumption public listening sessions as part of its final scientific report, among others. The next DGAC public meeting will be held on May 29 and May 30, 2024. 

Lawmakers Send Letter to Veterans Affairs on Produce Prescription Programs

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) sent a letter to Denis McDonough, Secretary to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), requesting information about the implementation of produce prescription initiatives at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In the letter, the lawmakers requested an update on the VA’s efforts to implement produce prescription initiatives within the VHA following a request outlined in the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to begin the implementation of produce prescription programs across the Department. The lawmakers requested answers to a series of questions, urging VA for additional information about how VHA has utilized fiscal year 2023 funding appropriated by Congress and if the VA plans to expand produce prescriptions initiatives to other VHA facilities.

Participant Media Releases Food Inc. 2 Documentary on U.S. Food System

Participant Media released the documentary Food Inc. 2, a sequel to the 2008 documentary Food Inc., to shed light on the inner workings of the U.S. food system. The film discussed several key topics impacting the food and nutrition landscape, including food industry consolidation, the debate surrounding ultra-processed foods (UPFs), potential health impacts of artificial flavors and sweeteners, exploitation of farm and food labor, and the rise of alternative, cell-cultured, and plant-based products. The film featured Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), National Institute of Health researcher Kevin Hall, and public health advocate Marion Nestle. Participant Media, in partnership with the Open Markets Institute, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, and FoodFight USA, intends to launch an impact campaign to raise awareness on UPFs, corporate consolidation, and workers’ rights following the documentary’s release.

Food Safety

FDA Releases Update on PFAS in the Food Supply

FDA released an update on the agency's activities to better understand per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the general food supply. The update includes the release of recent testing results, confirmation of the agency’s continuing efforts to supplement its PFAS data and monitoring activities, and a new updated analytical method to measure PFAS. FDA shared that while the agency’s testing for PFAS in the food supply is ongoing, the latest results from the Total Diet Study (TDS), testing results for PFAS in 95 samples, detected PFAS in eight samples and concluded that exposure to PFAS at the levels measured in the eight samples is not likely to be a health concern for young children or the general population. FDA affirmed its commitment to continue to analyze TDS samples with the goal of estimating U.S. consumers’ exposure to PFAS from foods and published an updated analytical method to the agency’s chemical analytical manual to measure 30 PFAS in food.

Congressional Dads Caucus Sends Letter to FDA Urging Strengthened Food Safety

Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) and several members of the Congressional Dads Caucus sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf requesting information on the agency’s food safety efforts following the agency’s investigation on the contamination of lead and chromium in applesauce pouches. The members requested a series of questions, urging FDA to increase food safety responsibilities across the agency, including the steps taken to address food contamination by heavy metals, the level of funding necessary for FDA to achieve its food safety mandates, and how the agency proposes to utilize new authorities to ensure the safety of food products in the U.S. 

On a related note, FDA announced that the agency is focused on post-incident response actions and activities regarding its investigation of the contamination of lead and chromium in applesauce pouches, including additional surveillance, prevention, and compliance activities.

Consumer Reports Investigates Pesticide Residue Levels in Fruits and Vegetables 

Consumer Reports (CR) conducted an analysis to examine pesticide residue in a selection of conventional and organic fruits and vegetables grown in or imported to the U.S. CR analyzed 29,643 individual food samples, including 59 fruits and vegetables from USDA’s pesticide residue monitoring program and rated the risk of each sample by the amount of pesticides found in the sample, how often they were found, the amount of each pesticide detected, and each pesticides’s toxicity. The analysis found that pesticides posed significant risks in 20% of the foods examined. However, approximately two-thirds of the foods sampled presented low or very low risk of pesticide residue. The analysis also found that imported fruits and vegetables had higher pesticide risk levels compared to domestically grown varieties. CR recommends the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables to help reduce the risk of pesticide exposure.

Agriculture

USDA Announces Appointment of Sakeenah Shabazz as FNS Senior Policy Advisor

USDA announced the appointment of Sakeenah Shabazz as the agency’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Senior Policy Advisor. In this role, Shabazz will work alongside FNS Administrator Cindy Long to help leverage the work of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and implement USDA actions on integrating nutrition and health. Shabazz previously served as Policy Director at the Berkeley Food Institute and Senior Policy Associate at the Congressional Hunger Center. 

USDA Invests to Expand Food Access Under Healthy Food Financing Initiative

USDA announced its partnership with Reinvestment Fund to award 16 public-private partnerships to receive $40.3 million in grants under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Local & Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program. The HFFI provides financing to local, state and regional organizations to provide financing and technical assistance to food retailers in underserved communities. The new partnerships, representing 75 local organizations in 20 states and Washington, D.C., intend to expand access to nutritious and affordable foods and strengthen local and regional food systems. 

USDA FSIS to Host Webinars on Voluntary “Product of USA” Label Claim Final Rule 

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is hosting two webinars to provide an overview of the agency's March 2024 final rule, Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims, and information about final rule’s related label approval guidance. Under the final rule, the “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” label claim will remain voluntary and eligible for generic label approval, however, the claim will be allowed to be used on meat, poultry and egg products only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S. The compliance date for the final rule is January 1, 2026.

Global

Shanghai, China Launches FOP Labeling Pilot for Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Shanghai, China launched a pilot traffic light labeling scheme for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to be implemented based on non-dairy sugar, saturated fat, and trans-fat content. The pilot, announced by the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (SCDC), will include both prepackaged ready-to-drink beverages sold at retail and freshly prepared beverages sold in tea shops and cafes. The traffic light labeling scheme would utilize a green-to-red color scheme and the letters A to D to designate the nutritional value of beverages. The labeling scheme aims to provide easy-to-understand nutritional information and encourage healthier beverage choices aligned with the country’s consumer demand for reduced-sugar beverages.

Fun Fact: Catfish have over 27,000 taste buds, more than any other animal.