Regulations: Page 83

Food Giants Invest In SmartLabel Initiative

Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)

The SmartLabel initiative, announced Wednesday by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, so far includes more than 30 companies, including General Mills Inc., Hershey Co., and PepsiCo Inc.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association estimated that by the end of 2017, companies will disclose information on GMOs for some 20,000 products through the SmartLabel technology.

Risk/Compliance

Tesco: All Global Supply Chains Use Slave Labor

Campaigners say forced labor often lurks along the supply chain with multiple suppliers in many different countries involved in manufacturing, packaging and distributing products.

FDA Finalizes FSMA Rules For Produce, Foreign Supplier Verification, 3rd Party Certification

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

The final rules, which implement the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, will help produce farmers and food importers take steps to prevent problems before they occur.

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Canned Tuna Industry Uses Slave Labor In Pacific Islands, International Rights Activist Claims

Trickery, illegal contracts and debt bondage (where crew members are obliged to “pay off” the cost of their travel and papers) and non-payment of wages, are common.

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Consumers Sue General Mills Over Gluten-Free Cheerios

The plaintiffs want General Mills to claim responsibility for notifying consumers about the “true nature of the ‘Gluten Free’ Cheerios,” to avoid further deceptive labeling, and to surrender profits made from selling the improperly-labeled cereal.

A month after General Mills recalled 1.8 million boxes of supposedly gluten-free Cheerios because they contained wheat, two California shoppers filed a proposed class action suit against General Mills and the manufacturing manager at the plant that accidentally introduced wheat-containing flour into gluten-free Cheerios.

Chipotle Restaurants Close In Pacific Northwest Over E. Coli Outbreak

According to the Washington State Department of Health, though the outbreak appears to be connected to food served at Chipotle, the specific source of contamination has yet to be determined and is still under investigation.

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Fleet Management

Fleet Management Technology, New Food Safety Rules Highlight IFDA Solutions Conference In Phoenix

International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA)

Attendees nationwide learned that fleet and vehicle management technology allows them to work more efficiently and helps them comply with more stringent food safety regulations.

Mark Mullins of Ben E. Keith Foods, center, notes DriveCam’s benefits during the IFDA Solutions Conference in Phoenix, flanked by Mike Hummel of Martin Bros. Co., at left and Danny Duke of Shamrock Food Co., at right.

CDC Links 24 Infections To Soft Cheese

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

There are five rare DNA fingerprints of Listeria included in this investigation, which whole genome sequencing has shown to be closely related genetically.

The 24 illnesses in nine states have been report since Aug. 8, 2010. One death was reported from Ohio. Twenty-one people were hospitalized. Five illnesses were pregnancy-related; one resulted in a fetal loss. The illnesses are in California (14), Colorado (1), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (1), New York (2), Ohio (1), Tennessee (1), and Washington (1).

Grocery Manufacturers Association Offers Guidance On Complying With Vermont GMO Labeling Law

Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)

The GMA, the world’s largest trade association for food, beverages and consumer products—has issued a road map to its member companies on how to comply with Vermont’s precedent-setting law that requires the labeling of GMOs.

FDA overreaches with new food-safety regulations

Regulatory burdens create economic hardship that spreads across sectors, ultimately harming consumers. The broad regulatory scope of FSMA will surely create those burdens, all while doing little to improve food safety.

Josh Rolph is manager of federal policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation. He may be contacted at jrolph@cfbf.com.

Del Monte Fresh Produce Recalls Apples Over Listeria

Fresh Del Monte Produce

A total of 695 boxes containing 8 “Granny Smith” green apples each and 67 clear plastic bags containing 6 “Granny Smith” green apples each were distributed to Coremark and 7-Eleven for sale in convenience stores in the Mountain States region.

Dole Recalls Bagged Salad Over Salmonella Risk

Dole Food Company

The salads were distributed in 13 U.S. states including Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin.

Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling a limited number of cases of bagged salad with an “Enjoy By” date of October 15 due to a possible health risk from Salmonella.

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