The past few weeks have seen significant action within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on food safety, labeling, and nutrition issues. With the release of three final rules on Food Safety, approval of the first Genetically Engineered (GE) salmon, release of draft and final GE food labeling guidance, and request for information and comments on the use of the term “natural” in food labeling, FDA signaled its commitment to, and set a course of action on, many of these issues.

The Obama Administration and Congress have also been active, with President Obama signing the Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act (P.L. 114-81) into law, and the House passing a Menu-labeling bill (H.R. 2017). Several issues, including GE food labeling and antibiotic resistance efforts, may continue evolving in the coming weeks, as they could be negotiated as part of a fiscal year 2016 omnibus appropriations package.