Volume 15, Number
7 - July 2015
Greetings from Food Label News!
This month brings caution about the potential risk and cost
of FDA warning letter, more about % Daily Values for protein
in Canada and the U.S., and the Food Label Community
discussions on LinkedIn. Read on to learn more and let us
know what you'd like to know more about. Happy July 4th to
our readers in the U.S.
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Beware: Warning Letters Cost More
Than You May Think
Who regulates food labels? Most know that FDA and USDA play
an important role in enforcement of the regulations cited in
the Code of Federal Regulations. Many know that U.S.
Customs, Federal Trade Commission, and state and local
inspectors play a role too.
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Often overlooked, however, are customers, competitors, the media,
consumer interest groups, and plaintiff lawyers on the hunt for
class action lawsuits. Any of these groups can pounce when they get
wind that you've been presented with a warning letter from FDA or
another governing body. Your risk of garnering unwanted attention
increases exponentially.
An example of this occurred in April 2015 when KIND received an FDA
warning letter that resulted in several class action lawsuits almost
immediately. The lawyers' issue: consumers' potential harm due to
labeling missteps the company had made.
It's clear that attention from FDA in the form of a warning letter
is only the beginning of a company's regulatory risk. For more on
this topic, see
Food Label Community. |
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To lower your likelihood of an FDA warning letter and the
potential onslaught of negative publicity, ensure your regulatory review
process is comprehensive – including not only the federal requirements
but also "hot buttons" with consumer interest groups, media, and
plaintiff attorneys. This is the only way to mitigate your potential
risk. |
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What's
News in the Food Label
Community
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Reader Q&A
Find
answers to our readers'
questions or send us
your question for an
upcoming issue.
Q. |
Last month you covered % Daily Value for Protein in U.S.
Are there differences for Canada?
− L.F., Germany, Cereal Manufacturer |
A. |
Canada does not use a % Daily Value for Protein. In
order to make any type of protein claim in Canada, the
food must have a Protein Rating of at least 20, and
varies depending upon the level of the claim.
Read more for Canada
Read more
for U.S. |
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What Matters in Food Labeling
Food Label News,
now in its 15th year, is a monthly e-newsletter reaching
over 9,000 subscribers around the world. We
welcome your colleagues to subscribe for news and insights
about food labels:
www.foodlabels.com/subscribe
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Your Virtual
Food Label Partner
Food Consulting Company,
founded in 1993, provides nutrition analysis, food labeling,
and regulatory support for more than 1,500 clients worldwide.
Our
guarantee: 100% regulatory compliance.
Contact us
for the help you need now.
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© 2015. Food Consulting Company, Del Mar, CA. All rights reserved.
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