Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Law Institute published a paper by FMI’s regulatory counsel Erik Lieberman on menu labeling and how FDA exceeded its authority by regulating supermarkets. The paper is published in the peer-reviewed FDLI Policy Forum series. The paper will be an effective resource to share with policymakers to highlight FMI’s…
DetailsNew federal menu labeling regulations that pose an unreasonable burden on many businesses, particularly convenience stores, could be replaced with more targeted rules under legislation introduced last week by U.S. Representative John Carter (R-Texas). Carter was joined by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas) as he introduced the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure…
DetailsThe Merchants Payments Coalition, a group of retailers, supermarkets, drug stores, convenience stores, fuel stations, online merchants, and other businesses, released a statement criticizing the U.S. Federal Reserve for “making merchants pay for fraud prevention even if banks don’t prevent fraud.” Although the Fed found that merchants bear 41% of signature debit fraud losses and…
DetailsThe National Grocers Association (NGA) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) have joined several other associations and supply-chain companies in opposing new restrictions on truck drivers set to take effect next year. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a new rule last year that reduces the number of hours a truck driver can work…
DetailsAn attempt to rein in unemployment took form in the U.S. House of Representatives last week with passage of a bill designed to keep the government from adding more red tape to an already struggling economy. H.R. 4078, the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act, is the latest in a series of…
DetailsC. Larry Pope, CEO of Smithfield Foods Inc., the world’s largest pork producer, is calling the U.S. government’s ethanol mandate worse than the current drought that’s plaguing Midwest farmers and the nation’s corn supply. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Pope suggests that the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) is adding insult to injury by requiring…
DetailsMenu labeling and calorie counts are on the agenda of the new Congressional Regulatory Review Caucus, the National Journal reports. Brought together by Reps. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), the bipartisan caucus first met last week.On the table was the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act (H.R. 6174), introduced by Rep. John Carter (R-TX).…
DetailsU.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) was joined by 100 of his Democrat colleagues in support of new legislation that would boost the federal minimum wage over three years to nearly $10 an hour. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2012 (H.R. 6211) would increase the minimum wage in three 85-cent steps, over three years, from…
DetailsThree 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 implemented for tobacco retailers. While various retail tobacco regulations are in effect, some regulations are still being drafted by the FDA’s Center for Tobacco products,…
DetailsMore 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 of concern for economic harm from rising corn prices due to this summer’s drought, Inside EPA reports. The request echoes livestock groups’ recent petition to…
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