New Orleans, Louisiana - According to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), “approximately 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year.” This plastic waste can take up to 400 years to break down in the landfill, harming animal life, polluting cities, or overwhelming landfills. To combat the harmful environmental effects of plastic, many companies are seeking to replace excess plastic packaging with edible materials. Using innovative technology and plant-based materials like seaweed, organizations have developed numerous packaging alternatives safe for human consumption.

Washington, DC - “One of the key ways the FDA can increase patient access to high-quality generics is by providing guidance to encourage and foster development of these cost-saving medicines, especially when it comes to complex drugs that can be hard to copy,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “By explaining our current thinking and expectations on how to develop specific generic drug products that are therapeutically equivalent to the brand name drug products, we provide an efficient path for these products to receive regulatory approval to enter the market, especially when they don’t currently have any generic competition.

Washington, DC - Owing to digital advances, we’re experiencing a reimagination of health care delivery. Consumers are now empowered to take more control of their own health information to make better informed decisions about their medical care and healthy living. These advances enable better health outcomes for patients.

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of State will host the third annual Zoohackathon in Madrid, Spain; Mumbai, India; San Diego, California; and Entebbe, Uganda, September 15-16, 2018; and in New Delhi, India, September 22-23, 2018. The Zoohackathon events bring together coders, designers, university students, and conservation enthusiasts to combat wildlife trafficking through digital and technological innovations.

Washington, DC - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has awarded five grants totaling up to $6 million per year over the next five years to Pediatric Device Consortia (PDC) across the country that will provide advice and support services to innovators of children's medical devices. The program aims to enhance the development, production and distribution of pediatric medical devices and has awarded $37 million to various consortia since 2009.

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing food safety recommendations for those who may be impacted by Hurricane Florence.