SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

AND NOW FOR THE BIG STORY – OVERNIGHT:   As readers know and appreciate, we attempt to find here at Urgent Agenda the most important, the most telling, and the most historic stories of the day.  And this day, there is something truly special.  From the New York Post:  The Food and Drug Administration said it will stop regulating French dressing after keeping a tight rein on its key ingredients since 1950.  The US agency announced on Wednesday that it would lift guidelines that required manufacturers to sell a product with 35% vegetable oil if it wanted to market it as “French dressing.”
French dressing also had been required to contain vinegar or lemon or lime juice. Other ingredients like salt, tomato paste, and spices were permitted, but not required.  The FDA said that the stringent threshold “no longer promotes honesty and fair dealing” for the benefit of consumers.  By removing the standard, the FDA hopes to “provide greater flexibility in the product’s manufacture, consistent with comparable, nonstandardized foods available in the marketplace.”  The move was made in response to a 1998 petition that was filed by the Association of Dressings and Sauces. It is unclear why the FDA waited until recently to address the group’s petition.  The FDA has regulated French dressing and an assortment of other foods for decades.  The trade group argued that the FDA’s strict guidelines stifled innovation and left consumers with limited options in the market.  Customers who were looking for low-fat or fat-free versions of the condiment were out of luck since those products could not legally be marketed as “French dressing,” according to the ADS.  We pay tribute to the Association of Dressings and Sauces for its contribution to this joyous day.  Its heroism and persistence will long be remembered.

January 13, 2022