Last week’s issuance of a request for information (RFI) in the Federal Register by the FDA and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) marks the first step in the administration’s effort to address health concerns associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF). As part of this process, the administration is seeking public involvement to help establish a uniform definition of UPFs. The notice consists of a series of questions about the criteria that should be used to define the term UPF (e.g., ingredients, processing methods, or nutritional attributes) but does not explain how the agencies intend to use the ultimate definition.
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A US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit panel recently affirmed a decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving soy leghemoglobin (also known as “heme”), a soy protein, as a color additive. Ctr. for Food Safety v. U.S. Food & Drug Admin., No. 20-70747, 2021 WL 1739920 (9th Cir. May 3, 2021). Heme is produced using a novel genetically engineered yeast strain that makes Impossible Foods' plant-based burger appear to "bleed."