6/18/2025 6:12:29 PM Did I read this right? A favorable food and beverage Proposition 65 decision from a California court? By Paul Benson Most companies I work with who do business in California have little good to say about California's Proposition 65 law. It requires...
6/9/2025 7:57:25 PM California bill would ban ultra-processed foods from school lunch programs, if they can come up with a definition. By Paul Benson California wants to be the first state in the nation to ban ultra-processed foods in public school lunches. If – and it's a big if – its...
6/3/2025 12:17:11 AM The FDA has redefined what it means for a food product to be called "healthy." Here's what that means for you. By Paul Benson I was in my fourth year of practice as a food and beverage lawyer in 1994. That was the last time FDA defined what qualifies as a...
5/28/2025 12:44:21 PM The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Report is out. Will it live up to its title? By Paul Benson When President Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. the Health and Human Services Secretary, both promised a major overhaul of the...
2/17/2025 3:51:11 PM What will RFK, Jr. do now that the DGAC punted on ultra processed foods? By Paul Benson I've been posting a lot about ultra processed foods (UPF) and how they might be treated in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines. A couple...
2/17/2025 3:50:17 PM Expect these food and beverage trends to compete for your attention in 2025. By Paul Benson I read articles about industry “trends” with skepticism. Because I aways ask myself whether what is being written about is actually a...
1/21/2025 9:46:26 PM Nobody seems to be happy with FDA's front-of-pack labelling proposal. Why? By Paul Benson I've done a lot of posting in the past about food and beverage labels. The upshot of my messages has generally been that nobody seems to...
1/21/2025 9:44:55 PM What does FDA's ban of Red Dye No. 3 mean for you? By Paul Benson Beginning in 2027, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require food and beverage manufacturers to start removing Red Dye No. 3...
1/7/2025 2:05:44 PM U.S. Surgeon General wants cancer warnings on alcoholic beverages. Will Congress act? By Paul Benson A few months ago (August 2024), I asked whether “alcohol in moderation” would be eliminated from the 2025 dietary guidelines. My post was...
1/7/2025 2:05:02 PM The FDA has a new definition for "healthy" and it will be found on a food label near you. By Paul Benson One of my many New Year's resolutions was to eat healthier. A nice idea, you might say, but what does that mean? At the end of 2024, the...
11/26/2024 3:18:05 PM Food dyes and chemicals are under fire. What will your Fruit Loops and Skittles look like if RFK Jr. has his way? By Paul Benson Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was picked to be the next Health and Human Services secretary by President-elect Donald Trump, food...
11/18/2024 4:21:08 PM Expect a battle as RFK Jr. attempts to revamp US food policy. By Paul Benson President-elect Trump's choice to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is certainly a controversial one. Robert F....