JUNE 2003
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...INTOUCH... Volume 4/Number 6 - June 6, 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
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GREETINGS!
Call The Food Consulting Company to simplify all your
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White House OMB Urges Distinction of Good/Bad Fats
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In a May 28, 2003, "prompt" letter, the White House
Office on
Management and Budget (OMB) alerted the Departments of
Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA)
that
OMB believes that new evidence on the benefits of
omega-3
fatty acids and the risks of trans fatty acids should
be accounted
for when the nation's Dietary Guidelines and Food
Guide are
updated. The "prompt" letter is a tool introduced by
the Bush
Administration to alert agencies that OMB considers
particular
issues to be worthy of priority status from a
healthcare dollars'
standpoint. By law the Dietary Guidelines are revised
every five
years; the next revision is scheduled for 2005. The
national
Food Guide, currently the Pyramid, was last updated in
1992;
no timeline for revision has been announced.
Read news release and letter at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/pubpress/2003-13.pdf
...INTOUCH... Comments: The OMB letter does not
specifically
name trans fats in relation to the Nutrition Facts
panel. However,
the Nutrition Facts trans fat rule is already pending
and expected
to be finalized by FDA (an HHS agency) before October
1, 2003.
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Final FDA Regulations on Food Bioterrorism Issued
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The two remaining proposed regulations for
implementing The
Bioterrorism Act of 2002 are published in the May 9,
2003,
Federal Register. Separately, the proposals:
-- deal with establishing and maintaining records
among food
firms, and
-- address administrative detention of foods that may
pose a
risk to public health.
Two previous proposals for implementing The
Bioterrorism Act
of 2002 were published in the Federal Register in
January 2003,
and announced in February INTOUCH. Those proposals
concern:
-- the registration of food facilities
-- prior notice of imported foods
FDA intends to publish a final rule on all four
proposals no later
than December 12, 2003, in accordance with the
deadline
established by The Bioterrorism Act of 2002.
Read press release and access the two new proposed
rules:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW00902.html
See INTOUCH Archive (February
2003) to access the two
previously proposed rules:
http://www.foodlabels.com/newsletter.htm
Access FDA's page on The
Bioterrorism Act of 2002:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.html
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FDA Chief Says Health Should Be #1 Focus on Food
Labels
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In a speech at the National Food Policy Conference
(coordinated
by Consumer Federation of America and National Food
Processors'
Association), FDA Commissioner Mark B. McClellan
referred to
food label information when stating, "The #1 focus
should be on how
a consumer's health will be affected by including that
food in their
diet." In the speech he explained "the evidence shows
that con-
sumers are willing to pay more and go to a little more
trouble for
better health, especially if labeling and advertising
support their
efforts to do so. Right now, labels focus mainly on
taste, ease of
preparation, and price." The Commissioner referred to
FDA's Task
Force on "Consumer Health Information for Better
Nutrition" and its
cooperation with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to
accomplish
such objectives in labeling and advertising.
Read entire speech at:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/speeches/2003/nfpc0508.html
...INTOUCH... Comments: In the
speech, the FDA Commissioner
makes reference to the FTC Report on Nutrition and
Health Claims
in Advertising, issued in October 2002, that
illustrates how consumers
interpret health information on labels.
Read executive summary:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/10/advertisingexec.pdf
Read full report:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/10/advertisingfinal.pdf
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FYI: In response to stakeholder requests, FDA is
extending the
comment period:
-- To July 5, 2003, for the proposed rule that would
amend the
regulation for sodium levels for foods that use the nutrient
content claim "healthy.''
Read extension notice:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-11272.html
Read proposed rule
at:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-4100.htm
-- To August 11, 2003, for the
proposed rule that would establish
the minimum current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs)
for dietary supplements and ingredients.
Read extension notice:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-12366.htm
Read proposed rule:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-5401.html
© Food Consulting Company, 2003. |