Public Morals Proposed as a Grounds to Ban GMOs

Public morals, public order, "social policy objectives," and "historical heritage" are some of the reasons the European Commission has proposed as grounds for a national ban of genetically modified crops. The plan presented by John Dalli, the European commissioner for health and consumer policy, is to give governments greater leeway to ban GM crop cultivation for factors other than health or environmental grounds. The legal service of the Council of Ministers criticized the proposal as contrary to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and the EU's own single market. More information is available from Jennifer Rankin, Growing GM crops 'could pose a threat to public order,' EuropeanVoice.com (Feb. 3, 2011).

FSIS Announces Final Rule for Interstate Shipment of State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Products

On April 19, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a final rule that will broaden the market for smaller state-inspected plants. This voluntary cooperative interstate shipment program will allow select establishments to ship meat and poultry products, bearing an official USDA mark of inspection, across state lines.

Advance copy of the document, Cooperative Inspection Programs: Interstate Shipment of Meat and Poultry Products (Apr 19, 2011), submitted to Office of the Federal Register is available here. 

FDA Announces Food Defense Mitigation Strategies Database

The new online database was developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the food industry to help protect the food supply from deliberate acts of contamination or tampering. The Food Defense Mitigation Strategies Database (MSD) provides a range of preventive measures that companies may choose to implement to better protect their facility, personnel, products, and operations. Visit the Mitigation Strategies Database here.