The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, which legislated the requirement for food allergy labeling guidelines, also required the FDA to implement rules for voluntary gluten-free labeling guidelines by August 2008.

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Republicans in the GOP-controlled House twice last year passed legislation that would have shifted the defense portion of the cuts elsewhere in the federal budget, most notably cuts to the food-stamp program and a requirement forcing federal employees to contribute more to their retirement savings.

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President Obama is under pressure from all sides to waive the ethanol requirement for less expensive fuel and food.

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That requirement does not apply to products sold as beverages or food.

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Obviously a key requirement is eating with a fork (again) and for the fast-food culture of America, that shift may be more seismic than we realize.

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"This is related to very poor yields in a lot of African countries that make it a requirement for countries to go out of their borders and go outside of the continent to meet food requirements for their people, " he says.

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