Food Laws and Regulations Division
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Food Laws and Regulations Division
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Newsletter - Vol. 10, No. 2 - Winter 2000 Table of Contents
Message from the Chair - Ralph Glover, Chair As the food industry moves ahead in the year 2000 the opportunities and challenges from a regulatory perspective will continue to grow with us. Food safety will continue to be a high priority for the industry. Manufacturers will want to continuously reexamine how well they are applying the basics of the Good Manufacturing Practices, HACCP and the associated regulatory requirements. Quality, Food Safety, Labeling and a good understanding of Food Laws and Regulations will continue to be an increasingly important part of every company's business and marketing plans. The Food Laws and Regulations Division is here to serve as a resource to the membership and provide a variety of short courses and symposia each year that deal with some of the issues. The global economy results in much more interaction between companies and countries. This international perspective is one that the division will be addressing in two of the three symposia to be presented at the annual meeting in Dallas this summer. There will be a session on, "Current Issues in International Food Law and Regulation". This symposium will address current issues of concern in international food regulations including the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, functional foods, harmonization, barriers to trade, food additive regulation, genetic modifications and food safety regulation. Another session will discuss, "The Regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms", which is currently receiving a great deal of attention both domestically and internationally. A comparison of the regulation of food products produced by genetic modification both domestically and IFT members who utilize this technology or plan to market these products globally. There will also be information provided that deals with the issue of food security bio-terrorism through reference to some historical incidents and suggest some methods to address this. This year the Division will co-sponsor a Food Laws short course prior to the annual meeting that will be specifically oriented to IFT members exporting food products to the United States. As with the symposia, the Division through this and the other short courses is hopefully serving as an important and valuable resource to the members. This is also the time of the year that we begin the nomination process for election of officers and the executive committee. Along with that we continually need volunteers to serve on the various committees, organize symposia and become a part of growing the division. The website and e-mail are continuing to be key vehicles of communication for the division. A special thanks goes to David Haytowitz who has been serving as the division webmaster. We will be continuing to look at providing more information through the website in the coming year. If you have thoughts on how we can enhance the content of the website please contact David or one of the members of the executive committee. We are looking forward to seeing you in Dallas this summer and we invite you to attend all the various program offerings being presented by the Division. Particularly, put the Division luncheon on your calendar since it is open to all members. This is an opportunity to hear from one of the leaders in the Food Laws and Regulations arena and also meet the officers and other members of the Division. Division Activities at the 2000 IFT Annual Meeting - Jack Cooper - Member at Large & Symposia Coordinator Division Meetings
Food Laws and Regulations Division Sponsored National Meeting Symposia Sunday Morning, June 11 Symposium - Advancements in the Description/Definition of Dietary Fiber - Sponsored by the Carbohydrate Division - Cosponsored by the Food Laws and Regulations Division
Sunday Afternoon, June 11 Symposium - The Regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms - Sponsored by the Food Laws and Regulations Division
Tuesday Morning, June 13 Symposium - International Food Laws and Regulations - Sponsored by the International Division - Cosponsored by the Food Laws and Regulations Division Organized by Tom Wilson, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan and Vincent Hegarty, Institute for Food Laws and Regulations, Michigan State University, Food Safety and Toxicology Center, East Lansing, MI; Juan Silva, Food Process Engineer, Mississippi State University, Miss State, MS; David Jukes, Department of Foo6Scienee Science and Technology, University of Reading, United Kingdom; Antonio M. Martin, Food Science Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Department of Biochemistry., Canada
Tuesday Afternoon, June 13 Food Laws and Regulations Division - Technical Oral Session Moderators: Tom Wilson, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan and Barbara Rascoe, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington See the final IFT program for the titles of the presentations and speakers Other Symposia of Interest to Members of the Food Laws and Regulations Division Monday Afternoon, June 12 IFT HOT TOPIC - Food Biotechnology: Adopting Segregation and Validation for a Dual Stream Reality - Moderators: Mark Beaumont, Nestle R&D, Kemptthal, Switzerland; and D. Ramkishan Rao, Plant & Animal Systems, USDA-CSREES, Washington, DC
Wednesday Morning, June 14 Symposium Sponsored by the Biotechnology Division - Cosponsored by the Toxicology and Safety Evaluation Division
You will need to consult the final program for the Date and time of the following session:
Editor's Corner GMO Labeling Update Since September of 1998 there have been EC regulations in effect that have mandated labeling for certain food and food ingredients that are produced, in whole, or in part, from genetically mociified soy or corn. This labeling regulation, EC Regulation 1139/98, applies to products which are to be delivered as such to the final consumer. Exemptions were made for foods derived from genetically modified crops, but which contain neither protein nor DNA from the parent material (oils), food additives, flavorings, or extracting solvents, and products lawfully manufactured and labeled in the EC prior to September 1, 1998. This regulation also applies to food service products. September 19,1999 marked the deadline for all mass caterers to either label products that contain genetically modified ingredients, or to make that information available to their customers. These regulations have been adopted in the United Kingdom. As business becomes more global, more companies will need to be aware of these regulations. A substantial fine can be levied against companies who don't comply On the 10th of January, 2000, the EC published two more regulations amending EC No.1139/98. These regulations will have far reaching effects for companies selling food products in Europe. EC No.50/2000 amends 1139/98 by revoking the labeling exemption for additives and flavorings that contain components derived from GM crops (such as soy lecithin). EC No.49/2000 sets a de minimus threshold of 1% to trigger labeling. Labeling consists of either a parenthetical identification of an ingredient as being derived from genetically modified commodities or an asterisk by the ingredient relating it to a prominently placed footnote. These new regulations are effective April 10, 2000. The UK has already published a Consultation Letter requesting comments on the EC regulations. Other countries are sure to follow. Any company doing business in the European Union will need to be aware of these regulations. Several US based companies who do considerable overseas business have stated their intention of purchasing only products or ingredients made from GM-free components. Stayed tuned, things are bound to change dramatically over the next few months. A Time to Serve... Division elections will be held shortly and you are encouraged to consider volunteering to serve fellow members by running for one of the openings in the leadership staff. Past Chair Barbara Rasco is putting together the slate of candidates; contact her to be included. Ballots will be mailed no later than April 1 with the Spring Newsletter if possible. If an elected office does not fit your schedule at the present time, consider serving on one of the Division's Committees. Contact Tom Wilson, incoming Chair and offer your services on a committee. Employment News - Mitzi Elkes, Chair, Employment Recruitment The Employment Recruitment Committee continues to post "Positions Available." If you know of a company or person that would like to post a job opening in the field of food-related laws and regulations on the Listserv, please contact Mitzi Elkes, Chair of the Committee (mjelkes@aol.com; phone: (914) 923-1762. It's a free service to our members and an opportunity that food companies should not miss out on. Inside Washington - John Tisler; Member at Large The following items discuss some of FDA's activities that have been in the news lately. After the brief comments about their status are the URL addresses on FDA's internet web site where more complete information can be found for those persons without internet access, contact John Tisler, Director, Industry Activities Staff, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at 202-205-4255, for a paper copy of the referenced items. New Health Claim for Soy Protein and Coronary Heart Disease On October 26, 1999 the FDA authorized the use of helath claims about the role of soy protein in reducing the risk of coronary heart diseases (CHD) on labeling of foods containing soy proteins. This final rule is based on the FDA=s conclusion that foods containing soy protein included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of CHD by lowering blood cholesterol levels. (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/tpsoypr2.html) Food Supply Y2K Okay FDA participated with USDA on the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, and working very closely with the food industry, took extraordinary help assure that would not adversely affect the Amuch maligned Y2K bug@ would not adversely affect the nation=s food supply safety nor availability. It didn=t. (http://www.usda.gov/aphis/FSWK/) Dietary Supplement Strategy CFSAN's Director, Joseph Levitt, sent a letter to appropriate persons, firms and organizations with interests in FDA's regulation of dietary supplements. A court ruling (Pearson v. Shalala) addressed specific policies that FDA will follow. Director Levitt's letter and the strategic plan attached to outlines FDA regulatory position. (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-strat.html#Plan). Additional information about FDA's implementation of the Pearson v. Shalala decision can be found in (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr991201.html#cover) Proposed Rules for Trans Fatty Acids in Nutrition Labeling, Nutrient Content Claims, and Health Claims FDA proposed in November to amend its regulations on nutrition labeling to require that the amount of transfatty acids in a food be included in the Nutrition Facts panel. Included in this proposal is a new nutrient content claim defining "trans fat free" and a limit on trans fatty acids wherever there are limits on saturated fat in nutrient content claims or health claims. (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/hhtfacid.html) Join the Discussion... David Haytowitz, IFT/FLR Division Webmeister Looking for a way to discuss that latest regulation with your fellow food Scientists? Aren't sure about that label you prepared for a product being sold in Spain? Need information on that new ingredient? Join the Food-Law listserv and contribute to the exchange of ideas on food laws and regulations. But first, just what is a listserv? Listservs are electronic mail lists and there are literally thousands of them. They are used for everything from university professors telling their students about homework assignments to discussion groups on cutting-edge technology to favorite television shows. By subscribing to a listserv you receive all messages sent to that list along with your regular E-Mail. Conversely, you can also send mail to everyone who subscribed to the list, by simply addressing your E-Mail to the list. The Food Laws and Regulations Division and the Food Science Department at the University of Minnesota have established a listserv for the exchange of information and as a forum for the discussion of issues relating to food laws and regulations. To subscribe send a message by e-mail to:
Leave the subject line blank, and type the following in the message area:
You will then get a welcoming message from the listserv. If you should wish to leave the listserv, send the following message to the above address:
To post a message to the listserv, use the following e-mail address:
When posting a message to the listserv, be sure to enter a short concise title in the subject area. It is very helpful to other members of the listserv who may get quite a few messages each day. Continuing Education... Jim Vetter, Short Course Coordinator The Division continues to co-sponsor two short courses offered by the Institute: Food Labeling and Food Laws and Regulations. Each course is offered twice a year and the schedule for this year is:
These programs have received very high evaluations by past participants and are fulfilling a real need of members of the Institute. Watch the mail for brochures announcing these very valuable short courses. Consider enrolling in one or both of these programs for basic training or an update if you are already experienced in the subjects. Courses fill up rapdily; register promptly to avoid disappointment.
Please submit articles or information for the next newsletter by April 1, 2000 Send information to the Editors at the addresses below. Please send comments, suggestions concerns and corrections to us, we want to hear from you.
Newsletter Deadline - April 1, 2000 Last modified: February 26, 2000 |
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