SEPTEMBER
2004
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...INTOUCH... Volume 5/Number 9 - September 3,
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
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Dietary Guidelines Report is Released
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On August 19, 2004, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines
advisory
committee submitted its recommendations to the
secretaries
of the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS)
and Agriculture (USDA). The report will serve as the
basis
for the sixth edition of Nutrition and Your Health:
Dietary
Guidelines for Americans that HHS and USDA expect to
publish in January 2005.
The committee recommends that the Guidelines convey
nine major messages:
-- Consume a variety of foods within and among the
basic
food groups while staying within energy needs.
-- Control calorie intake to manage body weight.
-- Be physically active every day.
-- Increase daily intake of fruits and vegetables,
whole
grains, and non-fat or low-fat milk and milk
products.
-- Choose fats wisely for good health.
-- Choose carbohydrates wisely for good health.
-- Choose and prepare foods with little salt.
-- If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in
moderation.
-- Keep food safe to eat.
Read the report at:
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/report/
...INTOUCH... Comments:
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines are the federal
government's
stand on what constitutes a healthy diet for
Americans.
The Guidelines form the foundation of federal food,
nutrition education, and nutrition information
programs
including FDA's nutrition labeling regulations.
In the report, calorie control is the dietary approach
to
control body weight rather than a reduction in amounts
of a particular macronutrient (fat, carbohydrate, or
protein).
This is noteworthy since the public has been seeking
"low
carbohydrate" foods and industry has pushed for FDA
allowance for "low carbohydrate" labeling claims.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CFSAN Reports Progress - Includes Food Labels
Priorities
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On August 12, 2004, the Center for Food Safety and
Applied
Nutrition (CFSAN) released a progress report on the
Center's
2004 priorities through June. The report includes
several
food labeling issues, as well as other issues under
the
agency's jurisdiction.
The report has three categories:
-- Priorities Accomplished - Items 34 through 41
relate to
food labeling including trans fat claims and
education,
serving size declarations, label statements and
claims,
and obesity management.
-- New Priorities - Item 9 relates to label statements
and
claims.
-- A-List Goals moved to B-List - Items 6 through 8
relate
to food labeling including new dietary
ingredients, health
claims, and "Calories Count" for obesity
management.
Read the report at:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cfsan804.html
...INTOUCH... Comments:
Of the twelve food labeling priorities listed in the
progress
report, six involve the development and use of label
state-
ments and claims. Health stakeholders seem to be
focused
on increasing the use of such statements by industry,
and
FDA is responding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FTC Comments to FDA on Nutrition Labels Claims
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On July 27, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
submitted comments to FDA stating support for specific
regulation changes that enable and promote increased
use
of "unqualified" health claims and nutrient content
claims on
food labels. FTC staff believes that certain changes
in the
regulations will help consumers make better-informed
food
purchasing decisions and encourage industry to develop
and market healthier foods.
The FTC comments were submitted in response to a May
4,
2004, Federal Register notice by FDA that the agency
had
reopened the comment period for a 1995 Proposed Rule
(Food Labeling: Nutrient Content Claims, General
Principles;
Health Claims, General Requirements and Other Specific
Requirements for Individual Health Claims) which would
amend regulations to provide greater flexibility in
the use of
claims. The Proposed Rule addresses issues that were
brought to FDA's attention in 2003 by the FDA task
force for
the agency's "Consumer Health Information for Better
Nutri-
tion" initiative. The task force recommended that FDA
seek
public comment on several "claims" topics.
Read FTC news release and access comments at:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/07/fdacomment.htm
Read the May 4, 2004, Federal Register notice at:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/04-10126.htm
Read the December 21, 1995, Proposed Rule at:
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/nutrient.txt
For background on the "Consumer Health Information for
Better Nutrition" initiative, see September, 2003,
INTOUCH at:
http://www.foodlabels.com/newsletter.htm
...INTOUCH... Comments:
INTOUCH will report on label claim developments as
they occur.
As always, Food Consulting Company will help you apply
FDA-
compliant label claims to your products.
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