February 9, 2015
- Cornell announced a $712,000 in USDA grant for its Northeast Beginning Farmer Program. Part of the the funding will be dedicated to creating training programs and farmer-to-farmer networks for military veterans transitioning into agriculture. Services to be provided by the Farmer Veteran Coalition.
- For our New York clients and friends, in the farming community, Farm Bureau of New York is pressing the state legislature for an investment tax credit that would reimburse farmers for their expenses on items that are considered an investment in their business, such as construction supplies, machinery and new technology. The credits are intended to support the efforts of young farmers in particular.
- If you are a food business subject to regulation by the FDA, you might notice an increase in FDA inspections in 2016. That is because the FDA issued a press release outlining its $4.9 billion budget request for FY 2016. The rationale for the request is to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act. According to the press release, a portion of this budget will be earmarked for the hiring and training of new inspectors.
- In 2015, certain restaurants will have to comply with FDA guidelines on nutrition labeling. A recent study has indicated that affluent customers are more likely to utilize the kind of information required by the regulations.
- Natural Products Insider advises supplement manufacturers to have a robust game plan to defend against class-action lawsuits. They recommend manufacturers perform label review by an experienced attorney as part of the risk mitigation strategy. Good advice for food manufacturers as well, and label review is one of our core services.
- Breyer Ice Cream announced it will no longer be using milk from cows given rBST, recombinant Bovine Growth hormone.
- D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a previous finding of the Federal Trade Commission that POM Wonderful made deceptive claims in its advertising.
