Last month I wrote about the current progress of the all-important farm bill legislation. The latest update at press time is that while the House and Senate debate beat goes on albeit slowly on Capitol Hill, powerful House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson said that he is now working harder than ever to get his farm bill on the House floor this summer. His goal is to get a farm bill out of his committee and then entertain options from Senate ag leaders. Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, the Democratic chairperson of the Senate ag committee, has drafted a rival version of the farm bill, and in doing so explained her actions by stating that the House drafted legislation has no chance in the Senate. We at Policy Solutions are still hopeful farm bill legislation will move forward as the September 30 current farm bill deadline approaches.
Bottom line: In our opinion, it is possible that the present farm bill could continue past the September deadline with temporary spending extensions. Another route is for Congress to pass a new farm bill after the November elections in a “lame duck” session, as the balance of political power could change in either or both houses of Congress starting in January. Stay tuned.
Food Traceability Enhancement Act Delay Possible
A Food Safety Magazine article caught my interest recently. The article mentioned that House of Representatives Resolution #7563 was recently introduced in Congress by several representatives. The proposed legislation aims to strengthen compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food traceability final rule that I have commented on in the past. The newly introduced resolution incorporates several key changes to implementation of the final Food Traceability Rule, including delaying the compliance date. The resolution is supported by food retail industry groups like the National Grocer’s Association (NGA) and FMI – the Food Industry Association
In a statement issued by FMI, the trade association said that while the food traceability final rule is a good thing, it is also overly complex and must be fixed, as the implementation of the rule is “so burdensome as to not be achievable given currently available technology and other resources.” NGA made a similar statement noting that the final rule will disproportionately affect small retail establishments in a negative way as it is currently being implemented. If a delay is put in place, we will let you know. The current compliance date is January, 2026 and requires strict record-keeping for products produced or manufactured from production to retail.
Reducing Food Loss And Waste
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last month the signing of a formal agreement with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and FDA to renew their Federal Interagency Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste. The goal is to reduce food loss and waste and educate Americans on its impacts and importance, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently said.
The agencies will also collaborate with external partners (i.e. – food retailers) to leverage the private and the non-government sectors to drive national and global change to reduce food loss and waste. Food waste and loss is a major issue as globally, 30 to 40 percent of food produced is either lost or wasted throughout the farm-to-consumer supply chain. Major food chains and food manufacturers and processors throughout the U.S are taking part in the USDA effort and have pledged to do what they can to address food loss and waste. This latest effort presents a good opportunity for food retailers including restaurants to undertake special in-house, meaningful public relations projects to address food loss and waste. Food for thought!
FDA Reorganization Will Be Implemented By October 1
Another issue that I have written about in the past that needs an update deals with the long-awaited FDA reorganization establishing the unified Human Foods Program (HFP) which will create a new model for FDA and USDA field operations and internally within FDA to modernize efforts aimed at safeguarding our food supplies.
FDA has announced that it has reached a significant milestone with approval of its reorganization involving the creation of the HFP, adoption of a new model for its field operations, and other significant modernization efforts within the agency. The reorganization implementation is currently targeted for full implementation on October 1, 2024, notably enhancing the agency’s ability to oversee and protect the human food supply and other products the FDA regulates.
Specifically, the creation of a unified HFP will allow the agency to more effectively execute the preventive vision laid out in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, elevate the importance of nutrition, strengthen local, state, and international partnerships, and position the FDA to regulate innovative food and agricultural products more effectively. In addition, the agency will be better positioned to respond to food-related emergencies in a more expedient manner, such as the 2022 infant formula shortages.
Updating Labels For Meat And Poultry Products
Food Navigator has reported that USDA is working on a backlog of much-needed updates to labels for meat and poultry products and anticipates publishing this year or early in 2025 several proposed new rules, including labeling for uncured and cultivated products.
“The agency also anticipates finalizing within the next year a proposed rule to modernize the Nutrition Facts panel for meat and poultry products,” said Jeff Canavan, USDA deputy director of Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) Labeling and Program Delivery Division.
USDA also anticipates publishing later this year a proposed rule for labeling cell cultured meat and poultry products, the oversight of which it shares with FDA, Canavan said.
FDA To Act On Regulating Genetically Edited Meat Animals
Food Safety News wrote a piece on “the next big thing in agriculture,” which I thought worthy of mention, as they described the gene editing of meat animals which they say, “will extend from research labs, livestock farms, and even the federal government’s right to our dinner plates.” The FDA has made it official in a recent announcement last month stating that the agency would lead the regulatory process to bring gene-edited meat to market.
According to scientists familiar with the subject of gene editing, the FDA is the logical agency to lead the regulatory process. They point out that the agency is mandated to protect human and animal health, while the USDA “does not have the same kind of overriding public health mission.”
We think GMO (genetically modified organisms) and gene editing, both entirely different processes, deserve to be developed for improved food production. That is not to say, however, that the two distinctly different processes are without differences of public opinion. So, there is lots more to come as modern science “designs” our future world food supplies.
SNAP Employment And Training
Registration is now open for the 2024 SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Employment & Training (E&T) National Forum, hosted by the USDA SNAP Office of Employment and Training. The National Forum convenes SNAP E&T partners from federal, state, and local levels including retailers, to connect, share best practices, hear from experts, and work together to build more effective SNAP E&T programs. This year’s National Forum will take place October 29–30 at the Tysons Corner Marriott in Northern Virginia. Registration is free and open until July 31, 2024. For more information, go to questions@snapetforum.org.
USDA Procurement Opportunities
USDA has just announced resource enhancements designed to simplify and streamline access to contracting information for businesses interested in selling their products and services to USDA. The huge agency has created a new “Contracting with USDA” site that offers information, resources, and links for large or small businesses that want to explore contracting with USDA, in a helpful Q&A format. If you are interested in finding ways to sell or market your products to USDA, visit www.usda.gov to check out their “Contracting with USDA” portal.
