Food Law Short Course & Seminar
	» Hurry, registration is limited Michigan State University - East Lansing, Michigan The program consists of two courses, a U.S. food law short course, and a food regulation current issues seminar. Participants may choose to take one or both. The courses are offered in a collegial, intimate learning environment. U.S. Food Law Short Course July 16-17 (Monday-Tuesday) 2012 The U.S. Food Law Short Course is designed as an introduction to U.S. food laws and regulations for professionals in the field. It is well suited for those new to the field but also comprehensive enough on the essential elements of food law to provide a refresher course for the experienced professional. Food Regulation Current Issues Seminar  July 18-19 (Wednesday-Thursday) 2012 The Food Regulation Current Issues Seminar provides practical education on current food legal and regulatory issues. The topics cover cutting edge issues of food regulation, involving FDA, USDA, advertising, and global issues. Speakers from the legal, government, food industry, and academic professions will present practical food safety and food law information and case studies.  For more information, click here or Register Online Free Bonus U.S. Food Law Short Course participants will receive a copy of the book, Food Regulation: Law, Science, Policy, and Practice by Neal Fortin. The book provides an accessible discussion of the federal statutes, regulations, and agencies involved in food regulation in the United States. The Instructors David ACHESON, Partner at Leavitt Partners, former Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection, FDA Les BOURQUIN, Professor of Food Safety, Michigan State University Ricardo CARVAJAL, Attorney and Director, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. Roger CLEMENS, Chief Scientific Officer, Horn; President, Institute of Food Technologists Nicole COUTRELIS, Lawyer and Partner, Coutrelis & Associes, Paris and Brussels Neal FORTIN, Attorney, Professor and Director, Institute for Food Laws and Regulations P. Vincent HEGARTY, Founding Director and Professor Emeritus, Institute for Food Laws and Regulation James E. HOADLEY, Senior Consultant, EAS Consultant Group Steve KLUTING, Attorney and Partner, Varnum, LLP Janine LEWIS, Principal Nutritionist, Food Standards Australia New Zealand Scott J. MACINTYRE (invited), District Director, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Kenneth ODZA, Corporate Counsel, Food Safety, Kellogg Company F. Edward SCARBROUGH, Principal, Scarbrough Consultants, former U.S. Manager for Codex and Director Jenny SCOTT (invited), Senior Advisor, Office of Food Safety, FDA CFSAN John SPINK, Director, Packaging for Food and Product Protection Initiative, MSU Steve STEINBORN, Attorney and Partner, Hogan Lovells, US, LLP Charles WOODHOUSE, Attorney and Partner, Woodhouse Shanahan PA Cathy WEIR, Global Regulatory Associate Director, Mead Johnson Nutrition Gerald WOJTALA, Executive Director, International Food Protection Training Institute About IFLR  Learn more about IFLR at: www.IFLR.msu.edu or call (517) 355-8295       Email: IFLR@msu.edu                       Telephone: (517) 355-8295 Fax: (517) 432-1492                        web: www.IFLR.msu.edu   Institute for Food Laws and Regulation Michigan State University, 139 G.M. Trout Building, East Lansing, MI 48824

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US Public Meeting on the Codex Committee on Food Additives

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are sponsoring a public meeting to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items that will be discussed at the 44th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Hangzhou, China March 12–16, 2012.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 13, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740.

Documents related to the 44th Session of the CCFA are accessible via http:// www.codexalimentarius.org.

The U.S. Delegate to the 44th Session of the CCFA, Dennis Keefe, and FDA, invite interested U.S. parties to submit their comments electronically to the following email address: cfsan- ccfa@fda.hhs.gov.

Registration: Attendees may register electronically at the same email address provided above by February 8, 2012.

The 44th Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA)

The 44^th Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) will meet in Hangzhou, China, March 12-16, 2011.  

A Federal Register Notice announcing the U.S. Public Meeting for the 44^th CCFA should publish soon. In the meantime, the following is provided for your information. The Public Meeting will be held on February 13, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Rooms 1A-001 and 1A-002, FDA, Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740. Documents related to the 44^th CCFA are accessible at: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/. Specific information regarding registration for the Public Meeting will be provided in the Federal Register Notice. However, please note that early registration is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building and its parking area. If you require parking, please include the vehicle make and tag number when you register. Because the meeting will be held in a Federal building, you should also bring photo identification and plan for adequate time to pass through security screening systems. Attendees that are not able to attend the meeting in person, but wish to participate may do so by teleconference, and should request the call-in number and conference code when they register for the Public Meeting. For further information about the Public Meeting contact: Jannavi R. Srinivasan, Ph.D, Telephone: (240) 402–1199, Fax: (301) 436–2965, e-mail: jannavi.srinivasan@fda.hhs.gov

US Public Meeting to Address Agenda Items for 43rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Hygiene

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Food Safety, in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is holding a public meeting to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items, as well as to draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 43rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), to be held in Miami, Fla., Dec. 5-9. More information is available here. 

Summer Academy in Global Food Law

The third Summer Academy in Global Food Law & Policy will take place at Como Lake - Italy, July 25-29, 2011, at the beautiful Villa La Collina. A distinguished faculty from relevant food organizations (WTO, Codex, EFSA, EU Commission), industry (Coca Cola) as well as academia (Michigan, Bocconi, HEC Paris) will be animating cutting-edge discussions on the latest developments in global food governance, from food private standards to health claims, from US Food Modernization Act to novel food regulation. 

Among the those presenting are four faculty from the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations (IFLR) at Michigan State University: Neal Fortin, Professor at MSU and IFLR Director along with IFLR guest instructors Alberto Alemmano, Associate Professor of Law at HEC Paris, Gretchen Stanton,  Senior Counsellor at WTO, and Raymond O'Rourke, Barrister, Ireland.

For more information on the program and the faculty, please find the brochure here and more information here and here. Please don't hesitate to contact Nikola Bock (bock@lexxion.de) for more information.

Public Meeting to Review US Positions of Codex Committee on Food Additives

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Food Safety and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will sponsor a public meeting in advance of the 43rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission's Committee on Food Additives (CCFA). The public meeting will be held to provide information and solicit public comments on the draft U.S. positions for items being discussed at the Codex session.
 
The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Harvey Wiley Federal Building Auditorium, FDA, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, Md. More information is available here.

Food Labeling Workshop at MSU July 28-29

Institute for Food Laws & Regulations
	» Hurry, registration is limited Food Labeling Workshop   July 28-29, 2010   ·   Lansing, Michigan This workshop presents the FDA requirements for US food labeling.  The workshop format and materials are designed to provide a user-friendly approach for those new to food labeling and also provide a thorough system and reference for those experienced with food label design and review.  The workshop format allows time for questions. The focus is practical, and students are encouraged to bring problem labels for hands-on review.     For more information, click here. Early bird discount (by May 14, 2008):  $895 Register Online or Download a Registration Form (PDF)    Free Bonus Workshop participants will receive the Guide to U.S. Food Labeling Law (Vol. I) by Peter Barton Hutt, Esq. The Guide provides practical guidance and expert advice on FDA, FTC, and USDA labeling requirements in plain English. The Guide is an invaluable resource for regulatory officials, industry personnel, and anyone reviewing food labels.  The Instructors Neal Fortin, is Professor and Director of the Institute for Food Laws & Regulations, Michigan State University.  His law practice experience concentrated on food law, labeling, ingredient evaluation, advertising, legislation, and administrative law. Professor Fortin also has 20 years experience in food regulatory work with the state of Michigan, including being the primary drafter of Michigan Food Law of 2000.  He has trained more than 1,500 people on the labeling law.  Constance Henry, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  James E. Hoadley is a senior consultant with EAS Consultant Group. In Dr. Hoadley's 20-year FDA career he served ten years a Senior Regulatory Scientist in the Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements (ONPLDS) with primary responsibilities in food label claim regulations. Dr. Hoadley has been directly involved in the scientific review and drafting of authorizing regulation, or denials, of nearly all health claim petitions received by CFSAN over the last decade. Dr. Hoadley has received the CFSAN Distinguished Career Service Award.  John Spink is the Director of the Packaging for Food and Product Protection Initiative at Michigan State University (MSU) and a faculty at the MSU School of Packaging. John developed and teaches the graduate classes “Packaging for Food Safety” and “Food Protection & Defense – Packaging Module”, and the “Future of Sustainability.” IFLR Internet Courses International Food Laws and Regulations Food Regulation in the United States Food Regulation in the European Union Food Regulation in Latin America Food Regulation in Canada Codex Alimentarius (The Food Code) IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) Food Regulation in Asia New Summer Course Offering:  Animal Health, World Trade, and Food Safety (OIE)  Learn more about IFLR at: www.IFLR.msu.edu or call (517) 355-8295       Email: IFLR@msu.edu                       Telephone: (517) 355-8295 Fax: (517) 432-1492                        web: www.IFLR.msu.edu    Institute for Food Laws and Regulation Michigan State University, 140 G.M. Trout Building, East Lansing, MI 48824

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Request for Information and Comments on JECFA Priority List

“Request for Information and Comments on Priority List of Compounds Proposed for Evaluation by JECFA.” is available at: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/Circular_Letters/CxCL2010/cl10_10e.pdf. The deadline for comments is 15 January 2011.

 

US Public meeting to address Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Food Safety and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are sponsoring a public meeting to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 4th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF), to be held in Izmir, Turkey, April 26–30, 2010. The CCCF establishes and endorses permitted maximum levels for contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed; prepares a priority list of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants for risk assessment by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives; considers methods of analysis and sampling for the determination of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed; considers and elaborates standards or codes of practice for related subjects; and considers other matters assigned to it by the Commission in relation to contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed. The public meeting will be held on March 29, 2010 in the Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, Md. Documents and agenda items related to the 4th Session of the CCCF will be accessible at the Codex Web site. More information on the meeting is available here.

 

 

GMA's Transition Paper on CODEX to President Obama

Recognizing the increased globalization of the food supply and declining consumer confidence, GMA has urged the Obama Administration to strengthen U.S. leadership in Codex Alimentarius and other international standard setting bodies in order to support harmonized international food regulatory policy based on science. The GMA Transition Paper on CODEX to President Obama is available at: http://bit.ly/alAexV

 

 

Codex Trust Fund in 2010

Applications for support from the Codex Trust Fund in 2010 were received from 76 eligible countries. Resources available to
the Codex Trust Fund will allow over 300 participants to be supported in 2010 to attend Codex meetings, task forces and
working groups. Additional support will be made available for Codex training courses, and to enhance the technical and
scientific input that eligible countries are contributing to the Codex process. For more information please contact Catherine
Mulholland (Tel: +41 22 791 3080 - E-mail: codextrustfund@who.int ).
Codex Trust Fund website: www.who.int/foodsafety/codex/trustfund/en.

 

Learning the Lingo: MSU Workshop Series for Academic Writing

Take part in The Michigan State University Writing Center's workshop series!  The fall line-up includes:
MSU, the Writing Center, and You: An Introduction to Using the Writing Center (9/24) -Do you want to know more about the Writing Center before you decide to make an appointment? This session will tell you all you need to know about being a Writing Center client and how to be most successful in your sessions.

Grappling with the GRE: Preparing for the Writing Component of the GRE (10/8)  - The GRE is stressful, but if you want to get into graduate school, you usually have to take it. This workshop will help you prepare for the written portion of the GRE by showing you what to expect and some strategies on how to excel (or at least survive).

I'm Awesome, Just Read My Personal Statement: A Workshop for Writing Personal Statements (10/22) -
Personal statements are very difficult for everyone to write. This session will help you determine how to approach your own personal statement by dissecting models and teaching strategies.

Plan, Research, Write, Repeat: A Workshop on Writing Processes (11/5) -
Knowledge of yourself as a writer is essential to successful academic writing. In this interactive workshop, contemplate and share your own writing processes and receive new ideas for ways to approach writing.

The Joys of Citation: An MLA/APA Workshop (11/12)  - Learning how to use a citation style can be very confusing.The manuals can be difficult to read and websites can be hard to navigate. This session will help you learn how to decipher these citation styles.

All workshops are scheduled to take place on Thursdays from 4:00-6:00PM in The Writing Center, 300 Bessey Hall. To sign up for one or all of our workshops or if you have questions, please email Elena Adkins at adkinse1@msu.edu. To register for a workshop, please include the subject line "Workshop Series" and include your name as well as the name of the workshop in your message.

More information here: http://bit.ly/7rp1Q1

Public meeting date to discuss the U.S. positions on the agenda items for the 42nd session of the CCFA

The public meeting date for the draft United States positions that will be discussed at the 42^nd session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is is scheduled for February 8, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Auditorium (1A003) of the Food and Drug Administration Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740.

 

At public meeting, draft U.S. positions on the agenda items will be described and discussed, and attendees will have the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments.  Written comments may also be offered at the meeting.

 

Those who wish to attend the February 8, 2010 public meeting should e-mail their intent to attend to the following e-mail address: cfsan-ccfa@fda.hhs.gov.  Early registration is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building and its parking area. Attendees that are not able to attend the meeting in-person but wish to participate may do so by phone.  Those wishing to participate by phone should request the call-in number and conference code when they register for the meeting.

Public Meeting To Address Agenda Items For the 3rd Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance

USDA announced a public meeting to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 3rd Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on antimicrobial resistance, which will be held in Jeju, Republic of Korea, Oct. 12 - 16, 2009.  The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Room 107-A, USDA, Jamie L. Whitten Federal Building, 1200 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250. More information is available here. Documents and agenda items related to the 3rd Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on antimicrobial resistance will be accessible here.

Can the multilateral institutions encourage unbiased outcomes?

Lee Ann Jackson and Marion Jansen have written, “Risk assessment in the international food safety policy arena: Can the multilateral institutions encourage unbiased outcomes?” (Jan. 2009). The working paper describes how food safety related scientific evidence is generated and how it is used in the context of risk assessment for international standard-setting at Codex and in WTO trade disputes. The authors also  discuss the processes leading to policy conclusions on the basis of scientific evidence.  They discuss the interactions between private and public sector actors and between "scientific experts" and others. Finally, they provide suggestions on improving the interactions and the transparency of the process.

 

Public Meeting To Address Agenda Items For The 15th Session Of The Codex Committee On Fresh Fruits And Vegetables

The USDA today announced a public meeting to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 15th Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The public meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, from 10 a.m. to noon, Room 2068, USDA South Building, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250.

Documents and agenda items related to the 15th Session of the CCFFV, which is hosted by Mexico and will be held Oct. 19-23, 2009, in Mexico City, Mexico, will be accessible here. Interested parties may submit written comments at the public meeting, or by e-mail to Dorian LaFond, International Standards Coordinator, AMS, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, at Dorian.Lafond@usda.gov. For further information about the public meeting, contact Doreen Chen-Moulec, U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, by e-mail at Doreen.Chen-Moulec@fsis.usda.gov or by phone at (202) 205-7760 or fax at (202) 720-3157.

New Master Degree in Food, Society, and International Food Governance

The Institute for Food Laws & Regulations at Michigan State University announced a collaboration with the Open University of Catalonia on a new Master's degree in Food, Society, and International Food Governance. The program is designed for individuals interested in enhancing their understanding and analysis of agriculture and food policy, and increasing their understanding of the social, cultural and economic factors that influence and shape the development and enforcement of agriculture governance. This combination presents an opportunity to explore connections between the historical, political, scientific, strategic, and ethical considerations involved in the organization of food policy and agriculture internationally. The program trains students to identify and generate solutions for just and sustainable food systems.

In an agreement to be finalized, the UOC will recognize any two (2) of the MSU IFLR courses listed below (6 credits total) as equivalent to 15 ECTS (UOC credits). Thus, UOC would accept these credits as one fourth of the UOC Masters in Food, Society and International Food Governance. Students have the option of either enrolling in these courses through MSU's Lifelong Education Program first and applying the credits towards the UOC Master Degree, or students may enroll in the UOC program first.

The UOC would recognize the IFLR courses as follows:

• Food Regulation in the United States

• Food Regulation in the European Union

• Food Regulation in Latin America

• Food Regulation in Canada

• Food Regulation in Asia

Courses may also be taken both for the Master degree and to satisfy the requirements for a Certificate from Michigan State University in International Food Law. Successful completion of four international food law courses required for the MSU certificate. Certificate holders may apply past MSU credits towards the new master's degree.

More information on the International Food Law Certificate Program is available here.

US Public Meeting on Codex Agenda Items

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture is sponsoring a public meeting June 8 to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 32nd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to be held in Rome, Italy, June 29-July 4, 2009.

Slow International Progress Toward Harmonized Audits

EAS e News (June 2009) reports on the recent Food Safety Summit technical sessions on third-party audits and the slow process of harmonizing international audits. Because there is an overlap between the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission's general principles of food hygiene, GFSI's proponents hope to use the overlap to gain easier international acceptance of GFSI's criteria.

“According to Mark Overland, corporate certification manager for Cargill, who moderated the sessions, general acceptance of the GFSI in the United States would require three key elements: a public audit standard instead of the numerous proprietary standards that exist; accreditation of audit bodies to the international standard; and auditors that are qualified to the international standard. . . . Codex Chair Karen Hulebak expressed concern about any moves to expand the international use of proprietary standards for third-party auditing. . . .”

The whole article is available here.

 

JECFA 2008 "blue book" on food additives

The Technical Report from JECFA's June 2008 meeting on various food additives has now been published and runs to 222 pages. Amongst the chemicals covered at this meeting were phytosterols, phytostanols and their esters, steviol glycosides and polydimethylsiloxane. A number of flavouring agents were also evaluated and revisions made to the specifications for several additives.  WHO Technical Report Series 952.