Written by M. Sean High – Staff Attorney
The following information is an update of recent,
local, state, national, and international legal developments relevant to
agriculture:
Labeling:
FDA to Extend Menu Labeling Compliance Date
On December 2, 2016, the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) announced that the agency “will soon publish a final rule
to formally extend to May 5, 2017, the compliance date for the agency’s 2014
menu labeling regulation, which requires disclosure of certain nutrition
information for standard menu items in certain chain restaurants and similar
retail food establishments.” According to FDA, the change is intended “[t]o
bring the official compliance date into alignment with the enforcement date.” Prior
to the announcement, the official compliance date had been December 1, 2016.
Labeling:
USDA Proposes Changes to Meat and Poultry Nutritional Fact Panel
On December 1, 2016, the United States Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a press release stating that the agency “is proposing to amend the nutrition labeling
regulations for meat and poultry products to parallel the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration's (FDA) final nutrition regulations, which were published on May
27, 2016.” According to FSIS, the proposed changes are intended to “improve the
presentation of nutritional information” so that consumers a better able to make
healthy dietary decisions.
Industrial
Hemp: PA Opens Application Process for Pilot Research Projects
On December 1, 2016, the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture (PDA) announced the release of the application and guidelines for persons
and institutions of higher learning interested in conducting industrial hemp
pilot research projects. According to
PDA, a maximum of 30 projects will be selected for the 2017 growing season and
the deadline for application is January 6, 2017. PDA stated that only “products or uses that
would use hemp fiber or seed for industrial purposes” will be approved.
GMO:
USDA Finds no Evidence of Washington GE Wheat in Commerce
On December 1, 2016, the United States Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued
a press release stating that the agency had closed its fact finding and
determined that genetically engineered (GE) wheat detected in Washington State did
not enter into commerce. The
investigation was the result of a July 2016 discovery of 22 GE wheat plants (developed
by the Monsanto Company and referred to as MON 71700) growing in an unplanted
agricultural field.
Regulations:
USDA Announces Changes to Reporting and Notification of Imported Fruits,
Vegetables, and Specialty Crops
On December 5, 2016, the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) posted notice in the
Federal Register of an interim rule that “updates reporting and notification
requirements associated with, and makes clarifying changes to, the fruit,
vegetable, and specialty crop import regulations for certain commodities
regulated under section 608(e)…of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of
1937” (81 FR 87409). According to the
notice, the effective date of the interim rule is December 8, 2016 and those comments
received by February 3, 2017 will be considered prior to the issuance of a
final rule.
Dairy:
USDA Amends Tariff-Rate Quota Import Licensing Program
On December 6, 2016, the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) posted notice in the Federal Register that the agency was issuing
a final rule amending the Dairy Tariff-Rate Quota Import Licensing Program (81FR 87801). According to the notice, effective
December 9, 2016, “for the purposes of the Dairy Tariff-Rate Quota Import
Licensing Program, U.S. Customs and Border Protection import entries submitted
electronically, as well as on paper, are acceptable.
Follow us on Twitter at PSU Ag & Shale Law
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Recent AgLaw HotLinks include:
- Armed federal agents seize milk products from major cooperative - FoodSafetyNews
- Certification would ensure welfare during cattle transport - Feedstuffs
- Confusion over compliance date for menu labeling - FoodSafetyNews
- Untapped potential in precision farming technology - Brownfield
- Bio: GMO labeling is about marketing - Brownfield
- PA to host third organic farms conference in Harrisburg this month - PA.gov
- New food labeling requirements receive thousands of comments from activists - FoodSafetyNews
- Protein company announces plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent - Brownfield
- 4 million birds in Europe culled to slow spread of pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) – Meatingplace
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