California Bill Aims To Streamline Restaurant Permitting Process
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Opening a restaurant in California is notoriously difficult due to never-ending heaps of paperwork and dragged out permitting processes. Saltwater Bakeshop in San Francisco had their opening delayed more than two years due to government red tape. Assembly Bill 671 could fix that, recently brought forth by Assembly Members Buffy Wicks of Oakland and Jesse Gabriel of Los Angeles County. The bill proposes a requirement for "local building departments to approve or deny restaurants' permit applications within 20 business days.” The bill will be heard in the chamber on August 18th.
Global Cases Of Food Fraud Soar This Year As Suffering Supply Chains Are Exploited
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There has been a significant increase in globally reported food fraud cases in 2025. "Tracking incidents of food adulteration and fraud in high-risk commodities worldwide reveals a complex picture emerging in the first quarter of 2025," says Konstantinos Pehlivanis of FoodAkai, a software company that tracks food safety data. The company released a Global Food Fraud Index that predicts which food categories will see the highest up-tick in forecasted food fraud cases. Eggs, dairy, and nuts are the most at risk groups of food for fraud in 2025, followed by fats and oils, seafood, and cereal products. Meanwhile meat and poultry, juices, and coffee should show significant decreases in food fraud cases for the year.
These Are The 3 New Naturally Made Colored Food Additives Approved By The FDA
Image Source / AP Photo Jeff Roberson
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced the goal to eliminate artificial food dyes from the nation's food supply by the end of 2026 earlier this year. Since, companies have been left wondering what dyes will be approved as substitutes. This month, the FDA granted petitions for 3 new naturally made dyes. There's galdieria extract blue, a blue color made from algae and another more popular blue dye, butterfly pea flower extract, which is extracted from dried flower petals. Lastly, calcium phosphate minerals create a white color alternative. These approvals have already been published in the federal register and will take effect this month.
FDA Layoffs Force Administration To Cut Back On Routine Inspections
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The FDA's Office of Inspections and Investigations experienced layoffs of nearly 170 employees this month. The agency has been struggling with inspection delays for several years, with a backlog dating to the pandemic in 2021. These layoffs are set to worsen delays, according to multiple FDA officials. Missing roles within the organization will drastically effect operations, notably, the termination of the travel operations division. According to a January report by the Government Accountability Office, the FDA faces a massive list of missed deadlines by Congress.
USDA Eliminates $1 Billion Of Funding For School Cafeterias And Food Banks
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The USDA has terminated two financial aid programs for school cafeterias and food banks. The Local Food For Schools Cooperative Agreement Program would have directed $660 million in funding for school cafeterias, while the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program earmarked $500 million to support food banks. The funding loss is likely increase the amount of low-cost, pre-prepared ingredients and processed foods in school lunches. "School meals have the potential to nourish students as well as to expand their palates, which can only happen with local foods and financial support of school meals," said Pamela Koch, professor of nutrition and education at Columbia University.
