WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it is revoking, or proposing to revoke, 52 food standards after concluding they are obsolete and unnecessary. The 52 standards are for canned fruits and vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, macaroni products and other foods.
These are the first results from the agency's ongoing analysis of its portfolio of more than 250 food Standards of Identity (SOI) to make sure they are useful, relevant and serve consumers in the best possible way.
'I'm eliminating outdated food regulations that no longer serve the interests of American families,' said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 'Today marks a crucial step in my drive to cut through bureaucratic red tape, increase transparency and remove regulations that have outlived their purpose.'
The FDA began establishing food standards in 1939 to promote 'honesty and fair dealing' and to ensure that the characteristics, ingredients and production processes of specific foods were consistent with what consumers expect. However, advances in food science, agriculture and production practices, and additional consumer protections have made many of these older, rigid 'recipe standards' unnecessary, FDA said in a press release.
Wednesday, FDA published a direct final rule revoking standards for 11 types of canned fruits and vegetables that are no longer sold in U.S. grocery stores, including seven standards for fruits artificially sweetened with saccharin or sodium saccharin.
FDA published another proposed rule that would revoke standards for 18 types of dairy products - including certain milk and cream products, cheeses and related cheese products and frozen desserts.
A third proposed rule would revoke standards for 23 types of food products -including bakery products, macaroni and noodle products, canned fruit juices, fish and shellfish, and food dressings and flavorings.
On May 13, HHS and FDA issued a Request for Information to identify and eliminate outdated or unnecessary regulations.
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