~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
....INTOUCH...   Volume 5/Number 4   -   April 2, 2004
Monthly Updates on Government Action Affecting Food Labels

Brought to you by:  Food Consulting Company
Your source for food label help at www.foodlabels.com
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

Greetings!  This month INTOUCH reports on FDA's plan to
help battle obesity, as laid out in the March 12, 2004, Obesity
Working Group (OWG) report.  The plan is based on the
scientific fact that weight control is a function of calorie
balance.  In relation to food labels, the plan addresses calorie
and serving size declarations, nutrient content claims for
carbohydrates, health claims for calories, and comparative
labeling statements.  FDA intends to work expeditiously to
implement the plan.

The full OWG report is available at
http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/obesity/


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA to Tighten Regs for Serving Sizes on Nutrition Labels
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a March 12, 2004, letter to food manufacturers, FDA
announced plans to make accurate serving size declarations
a priority in the obesity battle.  This priority stems partly from
the growing trend for packaged jumbo or super-sized servings
such as 20-ounce soft drinks, 6-ounce muffins and 3-ounce
cookies.  Current serving size regulations allow for these
products to be labeled as either one or more than one serving.

In the letter, FDA encourages manufacturers to label packages
as single servings if the entire contents of the package can
reasonably be consumed at a single-eating occasion. Con-
sequently the calorie statement and declaration for every other
nutrient on the Nutrition Facts panel will be larger.  The letter
warns manufacturers that the agency will take appropriate
action when serving size errors are discovered.

FDA will solicit comments via advanced notice of proposed
rulemaking (ANPRM) on:
1)  whether to require additional columns in the Nutrition
     Facts panel listing the quantitative amounts and percent
     Daily Values for the entire package or whether to require
     the declaration of the whole package as a single serving
     for products that can reasonably be consumed at one
     eating occasion,
2) which, if any, reference amounts customarily consumed
     (RACCs) of food categories appear to have changed the
     most over the past decade and require updating.

Read FDA's letter to food manufacturers at
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fl-ltr4.html


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA Begins Rulemaking for Carb Claims on Food Labels
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In support of the OWG recommendations and plans, FDA has
issued a Fact Sheet on carbohydrates that announces the
agency's intent to initiate rulemaking for nutrient content claims
(such as "low", "reduced", and "free") for carbohydrates and to
provide guidance on the use of the term "net" in relation to the
carbohydrate content of food.

FDA has received petitions from industry asking FDA to define
certain terms to characterize the level of carbohydrate in food.
FDA filed the petitions on March 11, 2004, and by law has 90
days to respond.

Read "Carbohydrates" Fact Sheet at
http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/obesity/factsheet.html


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA to Seek Comment on Calories / Claims on Food Labels
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FDA plans to publish an advanced notice of proposed rule-
making (ANPRM) requesting comments on how best to give
more prominence to calories on the food label.  A separate
ANPRM will request comments on whether to allow health
claims on certain foods that meet FDA's definition of "reduced"
or "low" calorie.  An example of a health claim for a "low"
calorie food might be, "Diets low in calories may reduce the
risk of obesity, which is associated with type 2 diabetes, heart
disease, and certain cancers."

See sample food labels of calorie prominence examples at
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/owg-qa.html#lbl2


~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

FYI:  The OWG report recommends that FDA encourage
manufacturers to increase the use of dietary guidance
statements and appropriate comparative labeling state-
ments that make it easier for consumers to make healthy
substitutions.  Under current regulations, both types of
statements are allowed as long as they are truthful and
not misleading.  Food Consulting Company will help you
apply appropriate label statements so that your products
are positioned in the best possible light within the law.

© Food Consulting Company, 2004.