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Category: Government Policy & Regulatory

Kenyan regulator threatens license revocation for beans, peas exporters on pesticides use 

KENYA- The Horticultural Crops Directorate recently issued a warning of license revocation for exporters of fresh beans and peas in pods found with excessive pesticide residue, aiming to protect Kenyan consumers.  The Horticultural Crops Directorate is one of the eight Directorates under the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), whose mandate is to oversee the Regulation, Development, and Promotion of the…

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Cameroon maintains ban on use potassium bromate in bread production

CAMEROON – Cameroon food quality watchdog has cautioned bakers defying the ban on the use of potassium bromate in the production of bread and bakery products due to its alleged possibly carcinogenic to humans. Charles Booto à Ngon, head of the Standards and Quality Agency (Anor) issued a memo on September 19 reminding bakers of the ban on using potassium…

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Cameroonian government cracks down on edible oils sold as ‘bulk’ alleged to pose risk to consumers

CAMEROON – The Cameroonian government is taking action against sales of “bulk” refined oil, a cheap oil widely sold on the informal local market alleged to pose health risks to consumers. Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the Minister of Trade, sent a letter to the palm oil refining industry urging them to comply with food safety rules comprehensively, as well as…

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Bimbo’s Canada Bread Co. banned from federal contracts over price-fixing scheme

CANADA – Canada Bread Co, one of Canada’s biggest commercial bakeries and a subsidiary of Bimbo Canada, has been put on a Canadian government ineligible and suspended suppliers list, for its role in an industry-wide price-fixing arrangement involving certain packaged bread products. The decision by the government of Canada to put Canada Bread Co. on the list comes two months…

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Australia and New Zealand invite public opinion on GMO corn for food 

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND– Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is inviting public commentary on an application that could see the introduction of genetically modified corn, line DP915635, into the food supply chain. This genetically engineered corn variety boasts herbicide tolerance and built-in defenses against insect pests, potentially reshaping the food landscape in Australia and New Zealand. The application currently under review…

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Kenya plans to introduce mandatory flour blending in new strategy to boost food security

KENYA – In a move to reduce overreliance on maize, the government of Kenya is on course to make blended flour mandatory for millers effective this November. According to The Nation, the regulations have been drafted and sent to the Attorney General for approval before they are passed into law. On the same note, the Kenya Bureau of Standards is…

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Soybean powerhouse Argentina eases currency policy to alleviate soybean scarcity

ARGENTINA- The world’s largest producer of soybeans, Argentina, is allowing grain exporters to keep 25% of the foreign currency they generate in September to import soybeans, according to a report by Reuters. This move by the government is inspired by a historic drought that is driving the need for soybean imports.  Because of the drought, the domestic harvest has been…

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India imposes 20% export duty on parboiled rice to protect local supplies 

INDIA- The Indian government has imposed a 20% duty on exports of parboiled rice , a move that could further reduce shipments from the world’s largest exporter and lift global rice prices, which are already trading near their highest levels in 12 years. This comes after India introduced a ban on exports of non-basmati white rice last month.  The recent…

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Canada joins GM corn dispute against Mexico 

CANADA -The Canadian government announced on Aug. 25 its participation as a third party in the dispute settlement proceedings between the United States and Mexico regarding the use of genetically modified corn in tortillas. According to a statement released on the Canadian government’s website, Lawrence MacAuley, the minister of agriculture and food, and Mary Ng, minister of export promotion, international…

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US puts more land under GM crops, Mexico maintains stand on GM corn ban 

USA- A recent US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (ERS) report reveals that close to 55% of the total harvested cropland in the United States was grown with varieties having at least one genetically modified trait in 2020. Corn, soybeans, and cotton dominate the area planted with GM crops, which were adopted widely by US farmers in the 1990s.…

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