TOPRA - The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs’ Post

USDA to require more proof for animal-raising and environmental claims (updated) From an article in MeatingPlace by Chris Moore Companies that tout certain animal-raising and environmental claims on meat and poultry labels will need more documentation, according to updated guidelines from the USDA. The agency said the move aligns with efforts to protect consumers from misleading labels and supports President Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized that these updates promote transparency and fairness, ensuring that consumers can trust the labels on meat products. The guidelines “strongly encourage” third-party certification to validate claims such as "Raised Without Antibiotics," "Grass-Fed," "Free-Range," and "Climate-Friendly.” In response to concerns over "Raised Without Antibiotics" claims, the USDA said it conducted a study revealing that 20% of tested samples contained antibiotic residues. The new guidelines address these findings by recommending routine testing and emphasizing stronger documentation for such claims." Link to article: https://lnkd.in/ews_VVwr

Cultivated meat, also known as lab-grown or cell-based meat, represents a revolutionary shift in the way meat is produced. By growing real animal cells in a laboratory setting, without the need for raising and slaughtering animals, cultivated meat offers a sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional livestock farming. As this innovative technology continues to advance, it brings with it a host of regulatory challenges and opportunities on a global scale. Delve into the intricate world of global cultivated meat regulation with our latest blog post! From the landmark approvals in Singapore and Israel to the rigorous consultations held by the FDA, we explore how different countries are shaping the regulatory landscape for this groundbreaking industry. Gain valuable insights into the evolving framework of cultivated meat regulation. Don't miss out on this essential read! https://lnkd.in/gRvJnzRG Stay ahead in global food regulatory affairs with Artixio's expertise! #CultivatedMeat #Regulation #GlobalIndustry #ArtixioServices #USFDA #USDA #USA #Singapore #Israel #EU #EFSA

Bans on cultivated meat are an attack on individuals rights to choose to consume environmentally sustainable foods. Cultivated meat offers consumers the ability to continue to enjoy meat without the ethical concerns or enormous environmental impacts of animal agriculture. Right when governments should be supporting the scaling up of this industry, we are seeing a reactionary push to ban this emerging industry. This is a direct result of the existing meat and dairy industry lobbying governments to crush competition. Article linked below.

Recently the UN environmental agency UNEP published a new report on replacing animal food products like meat and dairy with more environmental friendly and healthy food products like plant based meat and dairy alternatives. One paragraph refers to the report commissioned by TAPP Coalition about a higher and fair meat price, recycling revenues to make healthy food cheaper: CE Delft: "Sustainability Charge on Meat" (2020). The paragraph writes: A ‘meat tax’ similar to those levied on alcohol and tobacco has garnered support from some advocates. A meat tax in high-income countries could reduce demand and help to address the negative environmental and health-related externalities associated with meat consumption and pro[1]duction (Funke et al. 2022). Studies have looked at taxing meat products according to the intensity of their environmental impacts, including emis[1]sions, disease risk and impacts on biodiversity (Edjabou and Smed 2013; Vergeer et al. 2020). One concern around a meat tax is that it might unfairly affect low-income populations, but this could be addressed by a revenue recycling program (Vergeer et al. 2020). The CE Delft report, Sustainability Charge on Meat, presented at the EU Parliament, can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ejtWNAjW https://lnkd.in/e9tsdg3Z

🔍 European #Agrifood: Which path will we take? In recent years, we have witnessed a criminalization of #farmers, #AnimalBreeders, #researchers, and in general all actors in the #AgrifoodSector, unfairly pointed at as responsible for the #ClimateChange and #HealthCrisis. 🇪🇺 On the contrary, the agrifood supply chain deserves a prominent position in the #European #PolicyAgenda, as it can be part of the solution to the problems related to #sustainability. 📑 This is the reason why the #COMPETERE Think Tank launched “I Pledge” the policy document “#EuAgrifood: Driving Competitiveness, Sustainability, and Resilience. Strategic Policy Guide for 2024-2029″, sent to all #candidates for the #EuropeanElections. European Livestock Voice COPA COGECA FEFAC AnimalhealthEurope EFFAB - European Forum for Farm Animal Breeders COTANCE FEFANA asbl CLITRAVI AVEC EU Poultry

Sad day for Europen #soilhealth as EU withdraws critical #farm2fork regulation on lowering #pesticide use by 2030. The irony of not delivering on the #eugreendeal is that it will be farmers, our long term food security and health that will be impacted. The policies need good rethinking of their implementation mechanisms but not their abandonment. We need to tackle #fossilfuels dependance in agriculture. #foodsystems #foodsystemstransformation #climateaction #regenerativeagriculture

👨🏻🌾🌾 REVEALED: TAXPAYER-FUNDED CAMPAIGN DISCREDITS PESTICIDES’ CLIMATE RISKS Lighthouse Reports' Food Systems Newsroom, of which I’m a proud member, and multiple media partners published a blockbuster investigation into a covert campaign, partly funded by American taxpayers, “to downplay the risks of pesticides and discredit environmentalists in Africa, Europe, and North America”. Margot Gibbs and Elena DeBre worked on it for over a year to get a rare insight into the industry’s attempts not only to defend products that are harmful to human health and nature but also to undermine people who are calling for change. It all started with a tip: a major donor withdrew support for a scientific conference scheduled in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2019, supposedly after coming under pressure from the U.S. government. The conference was about showcasing alternatives to pesticides. Digging further using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests revealed “extensive correspondence between US civil servants, a Kenyan NGO, pesticide executive and a company, v-Fluence, about how to subvert the event.” Turns out, v-Fluence is a Missouri-based PR firm set up by Jay Byrne, a former communications executive at Monsanto, the American agrochemical giant whose name is synonymous with genetically modified (GMO) seeds and the weed killer Roundup, which contains glyphosate. It is now part of Germany’s Bayer. It also turns out – thanks to public spending records and analysis of financial statements – USAID has granted a contract to v-Fluence to construct a “private social network”. The firm is also being accused of working with Syngenta to hide the risks of Paraquat, a herbicide that is generally accepted as highly toxic. There is also mounting evidence linking it to Parkinson’s disease. Read the full article, written by Thin Lei Win, here: https://lnkd.in/ezVHcpAz #GreenQueen #agriculture #health #report #biodiversity #climatechange #sustainability

What does sustainability mean for feed mills? 🌿Irish and UK feed millers gather today in Naas, Ireland to explore the future of sustainable animal protein. Dave Morris shares how the agricultural value chain can meet the growing demand for sustainable products. We have the opportunity to bring transparency and accountability with Sustell and take action in reducing climate footprint! dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health Making the Invisible Visible!

This shift begins with the agricultural sector, which is affected by and also contributes to the climate crisis. We're at a crossroads. The real answer is #agroecology 

We were encouraged to see that the Renew Europe Action Plan for a Sustainable, Competitive, and Equitably Rewarded EU Agriculture includes proposals for biocontrol, in line with a number of IBMA recommendations. These proposals include: 🐝 Member states should be required to set up a ‘green priority lane’ for the authorisation of #biocontrol products 📊 Provisional authorisation for low-risk plant protection products (PPPs) and biocontrol products where procedures are expected to be favourable ⏱ Strict assessment deadlines for Member State competent authorities (6 months for biocontrol, compared to 12 months for ordinary active substances) ⬆️ Increased funding for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to enable a greater number of authorisations It is extremely gratifying to see that many of these measures indeed reflect our recommendations and views at IBMA. This marks yet another stride towards bolstering sustainable agriculture through the implementation of biocontrol. 👏🏻 Read more: https://lnkd.in/evfZZYtf #BiologicalControl #Agriculture #SustainableAgriculture #Farmers #InnovativeSolutions