EAS Blog
EAS Independent Consultants and staff provide in-depth regulatory expertise and authoritative reporting on a variety of compliance requirements for industries that EAS serves. Our experts break down complicated topics into easily understandable summaries and analysis. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive these monthly updates directly in your in-box.
Health Claims and Dietary Fiber
By Mark Kantor, EAS Consulting Group Independent ConsultantHealth claims are allowed voluntarily in food labeling if sufficient scientific evidence exists that a specific food or food component – referred to as a “substance” by FDA – may reduce the risk of a disease or a health-related condition....
Major Shakeup at FDA Continues as Tobacco Chief Removed
We wanted to share this important AP News article about the latest developments at the FDA, where tobacco director Brian King has been placed on administrative leave amid sweeping cuts to the federal health workforce. Key developments: King, who joined the FDA in 2022, had ordered thousands of...
HHS Restructuring and Organizational Streamlining
March 28, 2025View on the HHS WebsiteThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced significant organizational changes. Key Highlights of the HHS Restructuring: Organizational Transformation Workforce reduced from 82,000 to 62,000 employees Divisions consolidated from 28 to 15...
Webinar on the Updated “Healthy” Claim
March 27, 2025View on the FDA WebsiteThe FDA Webinar on the Updated “Healthy” Claim has been rescheduled for April 10, 2025, from 1-2 pm EDT. Please note, the webinar is open to new registrants, but you do not need to re-register if you previously signed-up for this event. A separate communication...
New Searchable Web Page for the Food Allergen Labeling Guidance for Industry
March 26, 2025 View on the FDA WebsiteToday, the FDA published a web page, Frequently Asked Questions: Food Allergen Labeling Guidance for Industry, as a resource for the 5th edition of FDA’s Guidance for Industry titled: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen...
HHS, FDA Announce Operation Stork Speed to Expand Options for Safe, Reliable, and Nutritious Infant Formula for American Families
For Immediate Release: March 18, 2025View on FDA WebsiteToday, under the leadership of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to enhance its efforts to ensure the ongoing quality, safety, nutritional...
EAS Consulting Group Welcomes Adam Orr as Independent Consultant
Adam Orr is a Certified Professional Animal Scientist and an Animal Nutritionist with a lifetime of experience in and around multi-species animal agriculture. The past 15 years have been spent at the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine and the Division of Animal Food Ingredients (formerly Division...
Drug and Device Corner March 2025
The 2025 OMUFA facility user fees have been announced in the Federal Register (see link below). Facility User Fee Rates FY 2025 Monograph Drug Facility (MDF) Fee $37,556 Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) Fee $25,037 The background and legislation on this program can be reviewed on the...
Pet Supplements Unleashed: Navigating the Regulatory Maze
Presented by Kevin Ragland, EAS Consulting Group Independent ConsultantMay 14, 2025 1:00 PM (Eastern)Pet supplements and nutraceuticals are extensively used by dog, cat, and horse owners throughout the United States, contributing billions of dollars in revenue for manufacturers. Despite their...
FDA Intends to Extend Compliance Date for Food Traceability Rule
Constituent Update March 20, 2025 View on the FDA WebsiteToday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing its intention to extend the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule (the “final rule”) by 30 months. The FDA intends to extend the compliance date using appropriate...
HHS, FDA Announce Chemical Contaminants Transparency Tool for Foods
For Immediate Release: March 20, 2025View on FDA WebsiteToday, under the leadership of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled the Chemical Contaminants Transparency Tool (CCT Tool), an online searchable database...
EAS Consulting Group Welcomes Gabriel Muniz as Independent Consultant
EAS is pleased to welcome Gabriel Muñiz to the EAS Consulting Group team of independent consultants. Gabriel is a distinguished expert in FDA regulatory compliance, quality systems, and risk management, with nearly two decades of experience in tobacco and other FDA regulated product industries....
Understanding the Role of Your U.S. Agent
Foreign entities who operate in US FDA-regulated industries must have an appointed FDA US agent before they can import products into the US. At a minimum these FDA US agents provide the most basic of required services. However, agents with relevant experience and knowledge can provide much more.
HHS Secretary Kennedy Directs FDA to Explore Rulemaking to Eliminate Pathway for Companies to Self-Affirm Food Ingredients Are Safe
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are committed to promoting radical transparency to make sure all Americans know what is in their food. Today, as part of this commitment, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is directing the acting FDA...
Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products
by Dionne S. Meehan, EAS Consulting Group Independent ConsultantOn August 7, 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published its updated “Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products” consisting of a proposed rule and proposed...
2024 CARES Act Drug Volume Reporting Reminder
Final reminder that CARES volume reports for 2024 are due no later than 31 March 2025 for all registered drug establishments. Do remember how vital it is to ensure all NDC listings reflect their correct status. The FDA will expect volume information for an NDC no longer manufactured that has not...
Drug and Device Corner February 2025
Reminder that CARES volume reports for 2024 are due no later than 31 March 2025. If you need assistance with the process, EAS is here to help.The FDA has updated the OTC MONOGRAPHS @ FDA website’s OTC Monograph Resources section. This includes a digital Catalogue of Pre-OMUFA Documents dataset in...
Food and Dietary Supplement Labeling: What Comes Next?
Labeling of food and dietary supplements in the United States involve several aspects and each must be approached with careful consideration. Regulatory, scientific, and business decisions need to be considered when working on labels’ mandatory elements and claims. The FDA released in December...
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has compiled all 80 Standards and 29 Schedules of the Code into a single, easy-to-search and navigate guidance document. While an obvious resource for Australian and New Zealand based food businesses, it is also a great resource for businesses exporting...
Cosmetic Registration and Listing Requirement Reminder
Now that we have entered the first year post cosmetic registration and listing requirements, it’s a good time to review your records and make sure you are prepared for your update / renewal process. For facility registrations, an update should be submitted within 60 days of any changes to the...
Audits: Internal, Regulatory, and Mock…. Oh, My!
Audits come in a variety of types, but the three main audit types that will be covered here are Regulatory Audits, Internal Audits, and Mock Audits. The ways a company handles, conducts and views these three categories of inspections will set them up for success. Read more of Jeb Hunter's featured...
Regulatory Freeze Executive Order
Effective January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a Regulatory Freeze Executive Order, which will have a direct impact on regulated industries. The regulatory freeze order, consistent with the actions of previous incoming administrations, effectively halts any rulemaking or similar regulatory...
Drug and Device Corner January 2025
Effective January 20, 2025, The President issued a Regulatory Freeze Executive Order, which will have a direct impact on regulated industries. The regulatory freeze order, consistent with the actions of previous incoming administrations, effectively halts any rulemaking or similar regulatory...
Regulatory Freeze Executive Order
Effective January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a Regulatory Freeze Executive Order, which will have a direct impact on regulated industries. Regulatory Freeze The regulatory freeze order, consistent with the actions of previous incoming administrations, effectively halts any rulemaking or...
Cat and Dog Food Manufacturers Required to Consider H5N1 in Food Safety Plans
January 17, 2025Read on FDA WebsiteThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that it is necessary for manufacturers of cat and dog foods who are covered by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) rule and using uncooked or unpasteurized materials...
FDA Issues Proposed Rule on Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling
On January 14, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a proposed rule to require a front-of-package (FOP) nutrition label on most packaged foods to provide accessible, at-a-glance information to help consumers quickly and easily identify how foods can be part of a healthy...
A Year in Review: FDA’s Progress on Tobacco Product Regulation in 2024
With a new year upon us, FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) continues to work diligently to protect the public health of the U.S. population from tobacco-related disease and death. At the same time, we also celebrate significant public health wins that have occurred over the past year,...
FDA Proposes Significant Step Toward Reducing Nicotine to Minimally or Nonaddictive Level in Cigarettes and Certain Other Combusted Tobacco Products
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a proposed rule that, if finalized, would make cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products minimally or nonaddictive by limiting the level of nicotine in those products. If finalized, the United States would be the first country...
Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergen Labeling (Edition 5)
January 2025 Docket Number: FDA-2022-D-0099 Issued by: Human Foods ProgramFinal Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5). This final guidance will replace both...
Considerations for Complying with 21 CFR 211.110
January 2025 Docket Number: FDA-2024-D-5374 Issued by: Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Center for Veterinary MedicineThis guidance, when finalized, will describe considerations for complying with the requirements in 21 CFR 211.110 to ensure...