Feature Stories

Aug 20, 2014

FDA Now Requires Food Labeled Gluten-Free to Follow Labeling Rule

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that all foods labeled gluten-free must meet all requirements of the gluten-free labeling final rule published in August 2013. The…

Aug 20, 2014

FDA Recommends Not Using Lidocaine to Treat Teething Pain, Requires New Boxed Warning

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that prescription oral viscous lidocaine 2 percent solution should not be used to treat infants and children with teething pain. The…

Aug 20, 2014

FDA Warns Consumers on Powdered Pure Caffeine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about powdered pure caffeine being marketed directly to consumers, and recommends avoiding these products. In particular,…

Aug 20, 2014

FSA Announces New Rule Requiring Proper Labeling for 14 Food Allergens

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued technical guidance to help small and medium-sized (SME) businesses in the UK comply with new rules on allergen labeling and information, which take…

Aug 20, 2014

ISEA Receives Approval from ANSI for Disposable Coveralls Standard

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has received approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for ANSI/ISEA 101-2014, American National Standard for…

Aug 20, 2014

Korea Sets Safety Criteria for Strollers

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) has set the safety criteria for strollers under the Proposed Safety Criteria for a Consumer Product Subject to Self-Regulatory Safety…

Aug 20, 2014

Swift Action on CHAP Report Urged by Lawmakers

Democratic Representatives, Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, have sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Consumer…

Aug 20, 2014

U.S. House of Representatives Introduces Bill to Ban Microbeads in Personal Care Products

The U.S. House of Representatives has introduced Bill H.R. 4895, which would prohibit the sale or distribution of cosmetics containing synthetic plastic microbeads. Known as the …

Aug 20, 2014

U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill to Speed FDA's Sunscreen Approvals

On July 28, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to speed up the review and approval process of…

Aug 20, 2014

USDA to Implement New Poultry Inspection Requirements

The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety (USDA) and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced additional food safety requirements and a new inspection system for poultry products. …

Aug 20, 2014

White House Creates Presidential Task Force on Combating IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud

On June 17, 2014, the White House has released a Presidential Memorandum entitled “Establishing a Comprehensive Framework to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and…

Aug 11, 2014

EN 71 Part 1 Acoustic Requirements Come Into Force September 30, 2014

Details On September 30, 2014, the standard EN 71-1:2011 + A2:2013 “Safety of Toys – Part 1: Mechanical and Physical Properties,” acoustic requirements for sound emitting toys replaces the…

Aug 11, 2014

UL Environment Teams Up with Green Endeavor to Green Industrial Cleaning

Collaboration supports healthier cleaning solutions for industry and manufacturing MARIETTA, Ga., August 7, 2014 —UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), and…

Aug 7, 2014

CPSC Issues Safety Compliance Letter for Holiday Lighting and Decorative Outfits

Details The Deputy Director of the Office of Compliance and Field Operations for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has placed manufacturers, importers, and retailers of…

Jul 30, 2014

India: BIS update – Mandatory online registration introduced

From June 23, 2014 onward, applications for a new registration number under the India Mandatory Registration Scheme (IMRS) are required to complete an online registration with the Bureau of…

Jul 28, 2014

Brazil Launches Public Consultation on Technical Requirements for Toy Safety

The Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (INMETRO) has launched a public consultation aiming to approve a draft administrative rule laying down…

Jul 28, 2014

CELA Report Recommends Anti-bacterial Chemicals Ban in Consumer Products

The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) has published a report on the health and environmental threats posed by two common ingredients in “antibacterial” consumer products, namely…

Jul 28, 2014

Connecticut Passes Act Concerning Cadmium Levels in Children’s Jewelry

The state of Connecticut has passed Act No.14-140 concerning cadmium levels in children’s jewelry, delaying the effective date of the Connecticut cadmium in children’s jewelry statute,…

Jul 28, 2014

CPSC Releases CHAP on Phthalates and Alternatives

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the release of a report detailing the potential effects on children’s health of phthalates and phthalate alternatives as used in…

Jul 28, 2014

DOE Study Finds Harmful PBDE Alternatives in Children’s Products

The Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) released a study, Flame Retardants in General Consumer and Children’s Products, assessing the presence of flame retardant chemicals, such as…