Volume 13, Number
8 - August
2012
Hello from Food
Label News.
As you sip your umbrella drink on vacation, take a look at
what’s up this month in the world of food labels. We discuss
Health Canada’s newly issued position on gluten-free food
label claims and also share highlights from Food Consulting
Company clients. If you’re looking ahead to the holidays, 'tis the season to better understand food labels for gift
packs in our popular Reader Q&A section. You can also search
for answers to your labeling and regulatory questions at
www.foodlabels.com.
Enjoy!
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Gluten-free on Food Labels in Canada
Gluten-free foods have grown in popularity as a health
choice for those with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
In late June, Health Canada officially released
its
position on gluten-free claims;
concurrently, the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that this position will
guide the agency’s
compliance and enforcement activities.
Per Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations (B.24.018), a
gluten-free claim is any representation in labeling or
advertising that states, suggests or implies that a food is
gluten-free. All information including trademarks, brand
names, pictures, logos or slogans that suggest or imply that
the food is gluten-free will be assessed against the
criteria below and is subject to appropriate enforcement by CFIA.
Highlights of Health Canada’s current gluten-free position:
• |
A product labeled gluten-free must have less than 20
ppm of gluten, a level that is considered protective
for the majority of people with Celiac disease and
is consistent with international standards. |
• |
Any gluten that is present due to
cross-contamination in food labeled gluten-free
should be as low as reasonably achievable and must
not surpass 20 ppm of gluten. |
• |
Manufacturers and
importers should have good manufacturing/importing
practices in place to avoid cross-contamination. |
• |
In all instances, if more than 20 ppm of gluten is
present in a food labeled as gluten-free, the
product will be in violation of the above code
and/or Section 5.1 of the Food and Drugs Act, and
could be subject to recall or other enforcement
action. |
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Reader Q&A
Q. |
I'm creating a gift set to be sold
wholesale. All items in the gift set
are pre-packaged and labeled with the nutritional information.
I need to know
regulations on labeling the outer box
with contents included.
− D.P., Indiana,
Snack Foods Distributor |
A. |
The outer label
for a gift pack sold at retail must
contain all 5 required label
components with one exception: the
nutrition information may be included
either on the outer label, inside the
package, or attached to the outer
package.
Read more. |
See
Reader Q&A archive
for an additional 50+ questions.
Send us
your question
for an upcoming issue.
What's new
in the
Food Label Community on
Join
the conversation
Most popular this month:
• |
Labeling bacon as an ingredient in FDA foods |
• |
"Made in USA" |
Coming next month:
• |
Disclosure
statements vs. disclaimer statements |
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In the U.S., the Food Allergen Labeling and
Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) mandated that FDA
establish a definition for the term gluten-free and uniform
conditions for its use in the labeling of foods. To date,
FDA has published a Proposed Rule for gluten-free. Like
Health Canada’s position, the U.S. gluten-free rule requires
that the finished food contains less than 20 ppm of gluten.
For more information about U.S. gluten-free, see previous
Food Label News
reports:
Sep 2010,
Apr 2009,
Feb 2007,
Oct 2005,
Aug 2005,
Jul 2005. |
Client Highlights: Food Labels and
Regulatory
Food label regulations can be challenging for
start-up companies, established multi-national
retailers, and importers alike. Those involved in
food labels can learn from how other companies
manage the nuances of food label regulations.
Start-up company launches novel beverage concept
- Navigating food labels and Nutrition Facts for a
new-to-the-world beverage brand in a highly
competitive industry is no easy task, especially for
a young, start-up company. With an outsourced
regulatory strategy, they were able to keep laser
focus on core competencies: building, marketing and
selling their new brand. Read the
case study.
Consistent food labels and Nutrition Facts across
a major national retailer’s private label vendors
- Managing a large, private label brand that spans
many categories has its challenges. Ensuring that
nutritional information and food labels are
consistent, accurate, and compliant across hundreds
of suppliers and products is essential. Read the
case study.
Americanizing foreign packaging – For a
foreign foods importer, understanding U.S.
regulations is not trivial. This food importer
overcame food label challenges and ensured that
their products easily passed through U.S. Customs
and FDA Inspections at the border. The result was a
successful U.S. introduction and 100% regulatory
compliance. Read the
case study.
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A special invitation: What’s your process to ensure
100% regulatory compliance? Submit your company for
consideration and if chosen you’ll be featured in Food Label
News. An excellent way to showcase your work both internally
and for the food label community. Click
here. |
Your virtual
food label partner
Food Consulting Company,
founded in 1993, provides nutrition analysis, food labeling,
and regulatory support for 1,500+ clients worldwide.
Our
guarantee: 100% regulatory compliance.
Contact us
for the help you need now.
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provided you attribute it to Food Label News
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© 2012. Food Consulting Company, Del Mar, CA. All rights reserved.
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