In the debut installment of the Food Safety Five Newsreel, we discuss an ongoing multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli infections linked to onions served at McDonald’s restaurants. The episode also takes a look at legislation passed in California that marks the country’s first mandatory food date labeling reforms.
Recently signed into law, California Assembly Bill 660 standardizes the use of “Best if Used By” and “Use By” dates on food labels, and prohibits the use of “Sell By” and other, inconsistently used dates.
The newly formed Northern California Nut Processing Group brings together four Duravant operating companies—Key Technology, WECO, PPM Technologies, and Multiscan—to deliver a complete portfolio of processing solutions for the California nut industry, as well as local sales and service support.
The California Assembly has passed a bill requiring an expedited review of paraquat, an herbicide linked to human health harms. It is used on food crops like almonds and pistachios.
The California Assembly has passed AB 2316, named the California School Food Safety Act, which aims to ban six potentially toxic synthetic food dyes from foods sold or offered at public schools. The bill now awaits signature into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
A new study has found that California community drinking water systems serving majority Latino communities are disproportionately contaminated by higher nitrate and arsenic contamination, and that the issue is exacerbated by droughts.
California AB 2316, which is named the California School Food Safety Act and aims to ban six synthetic food dyes from school foods, will soon face an important vote. Proponents and detractors of the bill have made their voices heard ahead of the vote.
According to the latest California Pesticide Residue Monitoring Annual Report from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), 97 percent of fresh produce samples collected across the state contain no pesticide residues exceeding health-protective thresholds set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This article discusses the recent wave of state bills on food additives that have emerged following the California Food Safety Act, FDA’s activities in an effort to get ahead of an inconsistent patchwork of legislation, and criticisms about these bills voiced by legislators, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
