Shipping Disruptions Continue in Red Sea
Commercial vessels transiting the region remain under threat Disruptions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes continued this week as Houthi rebels defiantly continued their attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea despite strikes by US-led forces against targets in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. The latest alert issued by the U.S. Department […]
Marketing Orders: January 2024
USA: Temporary Relaxation of Requirements for California Raisins The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an interim rule that temporarily changes the requirements for raisins covered under the Federal marketing order for raisins produced from grapes grown in California. For the 2023/24 crop year, the minimum requirements for substandard and maturity dockage in the marketing […]
Food Safety Update: January 2024
California: Private Applicator Certificate (“Brown Card”) Changes Under new regulations effective as of January 1, 2024, individuals currently certified as private pesticide applicators are required to take and pass the revised initial Private Applicator Certificate (PAC) Examination to demonstrate competency with the revised private applicator standards in 40 CFR Part 171. For more information, see […]
Latest Trade News and Agreements: January 2024
Brazil: Almond Imports from Argentina Allowed for First Time Brazil and Argentina recently reached an agreement to allow the import of almonds from Argentina into Brazil. The recently announced phytosanitary requirements for Argentine almonds will come into force on February 1, 2024. Under the new guidelines, a phytosanitary certificate issued by Argentina’s plant protection authority […]
Sustainability Update: January 2024
EU: Council Adopts Negotiating Position on Sustainable Packaging Rules On December 18, 2023, the Council reached an agreement (“general approach”) on a proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste. The proposal requires that all packaging be recyclable and that the presence of substances of concern be minimized. It also sets labelling requirements, sets […]
Red Sea Attacks Disrupt Global Supply Chains
Shipping companies re-route vessels and impose surcharges After a spike in attacks on commercial vessels, shipping firms are facing a difficult decision: they can send their ships through the Red Sea, risking attacks by Houthi rebels and inviting significantly higher insurance premiums, or re-route them around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 10 days to […]
Study Finds Snacking on Tree Nuts Reduces Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Young Adults
Daily tree nut intake may improve waist circumference, lipid biomarkers and insulin levels A recent study published in Nutrients set out to determine whether consuming tree nuts as snacks, versus typical carbohydrate snacks, would reduce risk for metabolic syndrome in young adults. The study was the first of its kind to investigate cardiometabolic responses to […]
INC-Funded Study Finds Longer-Term Nut Consumption Improves Brain Insulin Sensitivity
This research may be important for the prevention of age-related diseases Results from a recent INC-funded intervention study were published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition[1], one of the highest-rated journals in the field of nutrition and dietetics. The study showed that, for older adults with overweight or obesity, longer-term consumption of mixed […]
Dried Fruit Consumption Associated with Lower Risk of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
The study included data from 451,025 individuals In a recent study published in BMC Pulmonary Medicine, researchers conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization study to investigate the causal relationship between dietary intake and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease of unknown cause. Data on the intake of various types of food were taken […]
Specially Formulated Toothpaste May Lower Risk of Allergic Reaction to Peanut
The findings support continued development of the toothpaste for children A recent study found that a specially formulated toothpaste can be successfully used for oral mucosal immunotherapy in adults with peanut allergy. The abstract for the study was presented by the author, allergist William Berger, MD, at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College […]