ABA’s Food Technical Regulatory Affairs Committee (FTRAC) discussed key nutrition and food safety issues when it met in Washington, D.C. on June 28. As part of the meeting, the committee participated in a roundtable dialogue on a variety of issues including the Interagency Working Group proposal on marketing foods to children; FDA’s recently completed trans fat intake assessment; and an update on ABA activities surrounding the Food Safety Modernization Act implementation. Dr. Bill Wilson of North Dakota State University discussed the challenges and opportunities of biotech wheat development. Paul Hetherington, Baking Association of Canada president and CEO, provided a Canadian nutrition and food safety update. Dr. Joe Baumert of the University of Nebraska’s Food Allergy Research and Resource Program discussed allergen issues, and Dr. James Coughlin presented an analysis of the results of the National Toxilogical Program Acrylamide study. The group also received updates from Gale Prince, Green Leaf Consulting Inc., on the BISSC Project and from Theresa Cogswell, BakerCogs Inc. on the recent Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration Advisory Board Meeting.
The next FTRAC meeting and annual USDA Agricultural Research Service conference is planned for Nov. 8-9, at Tufts University in Boston. For information or to be added to the FTRAC list, please contact ABA Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public Affairs Lee Sanders at 202-789-0300 or at lsanders@americanbakers.org
Source: American Bakers Association
