JULY
2003
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
...INTOUCH... Volume 4/Number 7 July 4,
2003
Monthly Updates on Government Action Affecting Food
Labels
Brought to you by: The Food Consulting Company
Your source for food label help at
www.foodlabels.com
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Happy 4th of July! We join our American INTOUCH
subscribers
in celebrating the freedoms we enjoy in the United
States, and
we send greetings to our many subscribers around the
globe.
We feel privileged to serve you all!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Semi-Annual Regulatory Agendas Address Food Labeling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As required by Executive Orders, the semi-annual
regulatory
agendas for U.S. Federal Regulatory Agencies,
including FDA
and USDA, have been published in the Federal
Register. The
agendas are inventories of all rulemaking actions
under devel-
opment or review.
See FDA semi-annual agenda under Health and Human
Services
Department and USDA semi-annual agenda under
Agriculture
Department in the May 27th Federal Register at:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/052703co.htm
...INTOUCH... Comments: According to the agenda for
FDA, the
final rule for trans fatty acids in nutrition
labeling, nutrient content
claims, and health claims was to be published in June
2003 as
was an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM)
for a
trans fat footnote. Neither was published in June
2003, but FDA
Commissioner Mark McClellan said in a July 1 speech
that the
final trans fat rule is coming "very soon".
Also noteworthy, the last semi-annual Regulatory
Agendas were
reported in the January 2003 INTOUCH. See INTOUCH
archive
for previous reports on food labeling issues:
http://www.foodlabels.com/newsletter.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CFSAN Requests Comments on Fiscal Year 2004 Priorities
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA is requesting comments concerning the
establishment of
program priorities in the Center for Food Safety and
Applied
Nutrition (CFSAN) for fiscal year 2004 which runs
October 1,
2003, through September 30, 2004.
FDA plans for the format of the 2004 plan to be
similar to the
2003 plan and expects considerable continuity and
follow-
through between the two plans. In the notice, FDA has
stated
that the agency intends to publish a 2003 mid-year
report
outlining progress on the priorities; the notice also
states that
the agency intends to make the 2004 plan available in
the fall
of 2003.
FDA requests comments on new program areas or
activities
that should be added as high priority for 2004.
Comments
can be submitted electronically by August 4, 2003, to
http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments.
Read notice:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-14106.htm
...INTOUCH... Comments:
See May 2003 INTOUCH report on CFSAN 2003 Priorities
at:
http://www.foodlabels.com/newsletter.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA to Post Responses to Warning Letters in Pilot Test
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA is implementing a six-month pilot program to post
responses
to warning letters sent by FDA to companies violating
FDA regula-
tions. During the pilot period, the response letters
will be posted
on the FDA website if the warning-recipient requests
that the
response be posted and submits the responsein a word
processing
format on a disk or CD-ROM.
In compliance with the Electronic Freedom of
Information Act
Amendments of 1996 (EFOIA), FDA already posts warning
letters
that are, or are likely to be, frequently requested
documents under
FOIA. The pilot program begins September 22, 2003.
Read Federal Register notice:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-15732.html
...INTOUCH... Comments: Food labeling violations are
frequent
subjects of FDA warning letters. The Food Consulting
Company
helps food manufacturers and importers avoid the
predicament
of receiving a warning. Order the Full Label
Compliance Package
at
www.foodlabels.com to assure labels will not be
subject to FDA
warning. Companies who have already received a
warning letter
can submit the letter and the problem label by fax
(858-635-9701)
or email (info@foodlabels.com)
to receive a quote for corrective
services.
See posted warning letters:
http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning.htm
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
FYI: Recently FDA and FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
have
taken action against dietary supplements labeled with
unsub-
stantiated claims. In the 2003 CFSAN Priorities Plan,
FDA
committed to coordinating with FTC to increase this
type of
enforcement action and stated a continued commitment
for the
2004 Priorities plan now under development.
Read press releases on enforcement:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/trudeau.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/unither.htm
As a service to clients, The Food Consulting Company
provides
third party opinion for label content that may be
controversial in
light of the current regulatory climate. When needed,
we interface
with government agencies on client behalf, thereby
allowing
clients and products to remain anonymous. Submit a
Regulatory
Question at:
http://www.foodlabels.com/forms/contact.htm
© Food Consulting Company, 2003. |