Refresher on FDA Tobacco Regulations
Three years ago, in June 2009, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) was granted the authority to regulate tobacco products and a whole new set of rules and requirements were…
House Urges EPA to Waive RFS
More than 150 House lawmakers and seven senators sent letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week, urging the agency to waive its renewal fuel standard (RFS) out…
Baucus/Hatch Bill Extends Work Opportunity Tax Credit
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee completed markup of the Baucus/Hatch tax extenders bill by approving the bill on a vote of 19-5. The bill contains a two-year retroactive extension…
FNS Announces Proposed Sanction Rules on SNAP Food Retailers
Last week, USDA Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon announced the agency’s intent to publish a Proposed Rule in the Federal Register to impose new sanctions,…
Cigar Makers Worry About FDA Oversight
The FDA has heavily regulated cigarettes and smokeless tobacco since it gained authority over tobacco three years ago, but the agency has largely left cigars alone. But because the FDA…
Hot Fuel Litigation Heats Up Again
Last week, class action claims against gasoline retailers were kept alive by a Kansas federal judge. The litigation alleged retailers sold gasoline without revealing or accounting for temperature expansion, refusing…
EPA Mandates Minimum Gas Buys for Blender Pumps
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will require all consumers to buy at least four gallons of gasoline from certain gas pumps after the new E15 ethanol-gasoline blend is introduced…
Court Dismisses E15 Waiver Challenges
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday dismissed challenges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of a partial waiver for E15 allowing it to be…
Global Food Crisis Looms
The ongoing drought in the Midwest will soon trigger a global food crisis, Bloomberg reports. In response, the International Food Policy Research Institute is asking the United States to stop…
FDA Increases Tobacco Compliance Efforts
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is boosting its compliance inspections and making retailer compliance checks a priority. In recent years the agency has increased its number of inspectors from…