FDA

If you haven't noticed trans fats have become a prominent public health enemy, with "No Trans Fat!" and other related sayings gracing the cover of many food products out there. The reason? A trendy health fad? Not quite.

The AP reports: "Trans fats are widely considered the worst kind for your heart, even worse than saturated fats, which also can contribute to heart disease. Trans fats are used both in processed food and in restaurants, often to improve the texture, shelf life or flavor of foods."

The growing concern about trans-fats has recently been addressed by the FDA. According to the BBC, "The FDA is opening a 60-day consultation period on the plan, which would gradually phase out trans fats" qualifying that: "The ruling does not affect foods with naturally occurring trans fats, which are present in small amounts in certain meat and dairy products."

Are you one of our hobbyist customers that makes your own cheese, brews your own beer, etc. for non-retail use?   If you are one of these small operators/hobbyists and you

“Gluten-Free” might represent a new diet fad to some, but to those that suffer from celiac disease, the label is of the utmost importance. Celiac disease is a digestive condition that can reek havoc on sufferers’ daily lives if gluten finds a way into their diets. To ensure the safety of celiac sufferers, the FDA has stepped in to regulate gluten-free claims on food packaging.

According to an FDA News Release: “This new federal definition standardizes the meaning of ‘gluten-free’ claims across the food industry. It requires that, in order to use the term ‘gluten-free’ on its label, a food must meet all of the requirements of the definition, including that the food must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. The rule also requires foods with the claims ‘no gluten,’ ‘free of gluten,’ and ‘without

The Food Safety Modernization Act continues to spur discussion and debate among various interests. Recently, results on several trials concerning product tracing in the food