{"id":17043,"date":"2019-04-03T14:41:01","date_gmt":"2019-04-03T18:41:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/caloriecontrol.org\/?p=17043"},"modified":"2019-04-03T14:41:04","modified_gmt":"2019-04-03T18:41:04","slug":"calorie-control-council-march19-digest-2-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/caloriecontrol.org\/calorie-control-council-march19-digest-2-2-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Calorie Control Council March Digest"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CCC’s Monthly Digest serves to inform its members of developments from the previous month concerning topics of interest to the Council. Below are highlights which cover past, current, and on-going regulatory updates, industry & consumer issues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In this Issue<\/h3>\n

US Policy and Regulatory Updates
\n<\/strong>\u2022 Gottlieb’s Departure Raises Food Policy Questions at FDA
\n\u2022 Commissioner Gottlieb Releases Statement on FDA’s Request for New Funding
\n\u2022 FDA Reorganization to Begin March 31
\n\u2022 First Meeting of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and Request for Comments
\n\u2022 Experts Speculate about How Bioengineered (BE) Food will be Treated Under New FDA Leadership
\n\u2022 FDA Announces New Website for Consumers on Menu Labeling
\n\u2022 Connecticut Governor Proposes Statewide Soda Tax in New Budget
\n\u2022 USDA Announces Launch of the “Start Simple with MyPlate” Campaign
\n\u2022 Oatmilk, Keto, C.B.D. Among Top Trends at Expo West
\n\u2022 Government Priorities Discussed at National Food Policy Conference
\n\u2022 Physician Groups Call for Soda Tax
\n\u2022 Arkansas Governor Signs ‘Truth in Labeling’ Bill into Law
\n\u2022 Navigating Natural Sweetener Solutions in Beverages
\n\u2022 Many Factors Impacting Effectiveness of Soda Taxes
\n\u2022 Adding Breakfast to Classrooms May Have a Health Downside
\n\u2022 American Heart Association Adds Obesity to Heart Disease Risk List for Children and Teens
\n\u2022 Experts Ask U.S. to Establish Federal Nutrition Institute
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

International Policy and Regulatory Updates<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Chinese Authorities Order Schools and Childcare Centers to Limit the Sale of Sugary Foods and Beverages
\n\u2022 EU Court Overturns EFSA Decision to Withhold Unpublished Studies
\n\u2022 New Documents Suggest New Zealand Health Ministry Continues Sugar Tax Deliberation
\n\u2022 Chile’s Sugary Food Fight Echoes around the World
\n\u2022 Food Drink Ireland Hails Progress on Reformulation
\n\u2022 United Kingdom Considers Limited Ban on Junk Food Advertisements to Fight Childhood Obesity
\n\u2022 Australia Combats Childhood Obesity<\/p>\n

Council Updates<\/strong>
\n\u2022 CCC Submits Comments to the Eurasian Economic Commission
\n\u2022 Communications Update<\/p>\n

US Policy and Regulatory Updates<\/h3>\n

Gottlieb’s Departure Raises Food Policy Questions at FDA
\n<\/strong>On March 7, Politico Pro<\/em> (subscription required) published an article<\/a> explaining how the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s departure from the agency will slow renewed efforts to focus FDA’s regulatory agenda on food policy. Under Gottlieb’s tenure, food and nutrition saw a decidedly raised profile within FDA and increased interest from leadership on several policy issues. With Gottlieb’s departure, nutrition and food safety experts believe this is unlikely to continue. However, the Commissioner shared with Politico Pro<\/em> that the FDA is well respected by the White House, which will continue to support established food and nutrition objectives set by Gottlieb.<\/p>\n

Some of these objectives set by Gottlieb include sodium reduction strategies and nutrition initiatives. For example, Gottlieb announced early last year that the FDA would continue<\/a> an Obama-era policy on voluntary sodium reduction targets for processed foods. Last year Gottlieb also introduced the Nutrition Innovation Strategy (NIS), which introduced a comprehensive review of various food standards and includes the development of a consumer education campaign around the new Nutrition Facts label (NFL). Work for these initiatives remains unfinished and supporters of these policies express concerns about continuity under new leadership.<\/p>\n

As it relates to food safety efforts, the Commissioner expressed his confidence that Frank Yiannas, the agency’s new deputy commissioner for food policy and response, will continue to implement efforts related to the Food Safety and Modernization Act. Insiders at FDA appear to be less concerned about the walk-back of the agency’s food safety work due to its broad political support.<\/p>\n

Alex Azar, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is assisting in the transition with Gottlieb’s departure. In addition, as reported<\/a> by The Washington Post<\/em> on March 12, National Cancer Institute Director Norman “Ned” Sharpless will become acting commissioner of the FDA. The article purports that Sharpless may be considered as the administration starts its search for a permanent replacement to Gottlieb.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Gottlieb Releases Statement on FDA’s Request for New Funding
\n<\/strong>On March 11, the FDA released a statement<\/a>\u00a0from Commissioner Gottlieb on the agency’s budget request of $6.1 billion submitted to the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Budget. This budget request marks a $643 million increase compared to the 2019 Annualized Continuing Resolution (CR), and a $419 million increase compared to the FY 2019 Enacted Budget.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Gottlieb’s statement also highlights several high priority initiatives, including the following:<\/p>\n