Nexreg releases regulatory news educating organizations on the changes in regulations, and how to keep their industrial and consumer products compliant.

Oct 23 – Greenpeace, the iPhone and Prop65

From The Baltimore Sun: On Monday Greenpeace released a report criticizing Apple’s iPhone for containing environmentally hazardous chemicals. “Steve Jobs has missed the call on making the iPhone his first step toward greening Apple’s products. It seems Apple is far from leading the way for a green electronics industry as competitors like Nokia already sell […]

Oct 23 – Proposed regulation would set rules on recycled plastics (EU)

From FoodProduction Daily.com: Informal discussions are taking place on working documents from the Commission, that could go on to form the basis of harmonised EU rules governing plastic materials and articles in contact with food, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) reported. Harmonising the rules would make it easier for processors to trade under the […]

Oct 9 – Health Canada Reviewing the Use of MAY CONTAIN Allergen Statements on Food Labels

From Health Canada: Health Canada is reviewing its policy on the use of precautionary statements for food allergens such as “may contain …” and other similar label statements to provide better information to the consumer. These statements are used by industry to identify when priority food allergens may have unintentionally been introduced into foods during […]

Oct 9 – U.S. Senate Unanimously Passes Total Asbestos Ban

From Occupational Health and Safety: A complete U.S. ban on production, manufacture, and distribution of asbestos is suddenly within sight, after the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval Oct. 4 of S. 742, the Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007… S. 742 would amend the Toxic Substances Control Act; establish a national mesothelioma registry within one […]

Oct 9 – EU tightens safety rules on Brazil peanut imports

Reuters details another case of the EU finding aflatoxins in food products: The European Union has tightened food safety rules on peanuts from Brazil due to high levels of a cancer-causing chemical in shipments, officials said on Friday. The decision, taken by a panel of EU-27 national food safety experts, was designed to limit the […]

Oct 9 – U.S., Europe work on product safety communication

USA Today on chemical product safety regulation in the U.S. and E.U.: U.S. and European Union product safety officials are hammering out ways to work more closely on toy safety issues… U.S. rules allow five times more lead and lead paint in toys than in Europe, says Helen Kearns, a spokeswoman for Kuneva. Kuneva is […]

Oct 1 – FDA Cracks Down on Unapproved Cough Medicines

The Washington Post on the labeling of cough medicines: Autor said the unapproved products are made by some 100 manufacturers. The FDA said it was particularly concerned about improper pediatric labeling of unapproved hydrocodone cough suppressants — also known as antitussives. None of the drugs that contain hydrocodone has been approved for children younger than […]

Sep 28 – Natural Health Products Report Version 2 Released (Canada)

A notice from the NHPD: The revised Evidence for Quality of Finished Natutal Health Products guidance document (June 2007 – Version 2.0) is available online at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/legislation/docs/eq-paq_e.html.

Sep 28 – Anthraquinone (CAS No. 84-65-1) added to Prop 65 list

From the OEHHA: The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) within the California Environmental Protection Agency is adding anthraquinone (CAS No. 84-65-1) to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer for purposes of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Health and Safety Code section 25249.5 et […]

Sep 28 – Congress Expands FDA User Fee Program, Reforms Drug Safety Process

This information on the FDA in from OMBWatch.com: Congress has passed legislation which will reauthorize a program allowing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collect fees from pharmaceutical companies in order to conduct drug approvals. The bill will also dramatically expand FDA’s regulatory authority in response to recent controversy. President George W. Bush […]