Usda

“Beyond kelp”: USDA, Springtide Seaweed partner to tackle cultivation challenges and boost growth

07-Feb-2023 By Lauren Nardella

A new partnership between a small business funding and research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Springtide Seaweed will help to address the challenges of broadening seaweed cultivation “beyond kelp” and into other seaweed varieties.

USDA’s $300m investment in organic transition shouldn’t be beginning and end, stakeholders advocate

23-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

A new multi-million initiative by the US Department of Agriculture aims to reverse a downward trend in the number of farms transitioning to organic – a process that can put producers on their back foot financially as yields often drop during the three-year...

FDA yanks pending CBD enforcement proposal

27-Jan-2021 By Danielle Masterson

The White House Office of Management and Budget pulled six FDA guidances and rules from its review, including the proposal "Cannabidiol Enforcement Policy; Draft Guidance for Industry" — handing the CBD industry yet another setback.

USDA Final Hemp Rule draws mixed reactions from industry stakeholders

19-Jan-2021 By Danielle Masterson

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the final rule regulating the production of hemp in the United States — well over a year after publishing draft regulations.

Congress extends hemp pilot program

01-Oct-2020 By Danielle Masterson

The Senate passed a continuing resolution Wednesday that provides short term funding in a move that will prevent a government shutdown. The resolution also included the House’s language to extend the hemp pilot program through September of 2021.

Arla Foods Ingredients enter organic ingredient market

11-Aug-2020 By Danielle Masterson

Arla Foods Ingredients just launched its first organic ingredient MicelPure, in a push to support manufacturers to meet the demand for organic and functional protein products.

OTA asks USDA for funding flexibility, remote inspections and increased enforcement during pandemic

15-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Organic Trade Association is calling on the US Department of Agriculture to help ease mounting pressure on the organic supply chain posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic by increasing flexibility for inspections and the disbursement of funds related...

Coronavirus: Spotlight on the Supply Chain

Industry offers insight into vitamin C supply chain

02-Apr-2020 By Danielle Masterson

The coronavirus highlights how much the world depends on China for key ingredients.

Growing concerns prompt senators to urge USDA to adopt new hemp rules

27-Nov-2019 By Danielle Masterson

Sparked by proposed US Department of Agriculture regulations that would drastically alter the certification process for industrial hemp, two lawmakers from Oregon want the agency to make several changes before it finalizes rules for the US Domestic Hemp...

Harvard researchers call for more surveillance, targeted policy for energy drink marketing

02-May-2019 By Adi Menayang

What’s the typical profile of an energy drink consumer in the US, and how much are they drinking? Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed data from a national health survey to get some answers.

BREAKING NEWS

House approves federal GMO labeling bill that nullifies Vermont law

14-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

The US House of Representatives has voted to pass a federal GMO labeling bill (306:117 votes) that would pre-empt and nullify all state-led GMO labeling laws including the one that has just come into effect in Vermont.

What’s a GMO? Mushrooms, ‘gene-editing’, and a brave new world for regulators?

19-Apr-2016 By Elaine Watson

News that non-browning mushrooms developed with a gene-editing tool called CRISPR/Cas9 would not be subject to regulation by USDA has prompted a fresh debate about what ‘GMOs’ are, and whether the regulatory framework governing biotech crops is fit for...