Volume
6, Number 2 - February 2005
IN THIS ISSUE:
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About Food Consulting Company
"On-time, accurate, thorough, and a
pleasure to work with. Everything that a
successful business has to be!"
– Katalin Coburn, President
Peanut Better, Inc.
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Food Label News welcomes more than 300 new
subscribers this month. Food Consulting
Company's goal with Food Label News is to be
informed, keep our clients informed, and promote
our premium food labeling services. |
2005 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans Published
The 2005 edition of Dietary Guidelines for
Americans was released on January 12, 2005.
According to law, Departments of Health and
Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) must
review the Guidelines, that were first published
in 1980, every five years. The Guidelines
represent the federal government's science-based
consensus to help Americans live healthier
lives; they are the basis of nutrition education
programs, including the Nutrition Labeling and
Education Act.
The 2005 report gives advice on nine general
topics:
Read the Guidelines and background information:
http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/
Commentary:
The Guidelines advise people to achieve and
maintain healthy body weights by balancing
calories eaten with calories burned. The
Guidelines do not advise in any way, the
limitation of grams of carbohydrate as a means
to achieve and maintain healthy weight; choosing
whole grain products and fiber-rich fruits and
vegetables is encouraged under the carbohydrate
guideline.
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Industry Seeks Consistency for
New Food Labels Date
An FDA spokesperson has confirmed that the
Agency received a letter from a group of 14
trade associations that asks the agency to
establish consistent "triggers" for the food
allergen and trans fat labeling effective date.
The letter explains that both labeling
requirements are effective January 1, 2006,
however the "trigger" for the food allergen
requirement is "date of labeling" and for trans
fat requirement is "introduction into interstate
commerce." The letter asks FDA to establish
January 1, 2006 as the "date of labeling" for
both requirements. According to the FDA
spokesperson, FDA has not yet, but will respond
directly to the letter senders. The spokesperson
gave no indication of how FDA will respond.
American Frozen Food Institute has posted the
letter on its website.
See:
http://www.affi.com/harmonizationletter.pdf
Commentary:
Regardless of FDA's decision on this request,
Food Consulting Company is advising clients to
have 2006-compliant
label print plates ready (with trans fat and
food allergen requirements) as soon as possible
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definitely by the time of the next label
printing.
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CFSAN Report Card
Includes Nutrition Labels Progress
On January 18, 2005, the Center for Food Safety
and Applied Nutrition issued the end-of-year
report on the Center's 2004 program priority
accomplishments. The report identifies 22
completed priorities for the category of
Nutrition, Health Claims, and Labeling. In part,
the list includes activities related to: Obesity
Working Group, Cooperation with FTC for
Enforcement Against Misleading Claims, Serving
Size Declaration, Nutrition Information in
Restaurants, Qualified & Unqualified Health
Claims, Nutrient Content Claims (including trans
fat claims), Dietary Guidance Statements,
Nutrient Content/Health Claims Petitions,
Enforcement Activities for Inappropriate
Labeling of Conventional Foods.
Access CFSAN Report Card:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cfsan105.html
Commentary: All of the accomplishments listed
above have been reported in Food Label News
(formerly INTOUCH) as they occurred. For
background, see the 2004 newsletter archive at
http://www.foodlabels.com/newsletter.htm.
Many of the accomplishments will receive
continued attention by FDA and Food Label
News will report on developments as they
occur.
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FYI: Now is
the time to get labels updated to comply with
requirements for trans fat and allergen
labeling. The requirements take effect January
1, 2006. Food Consulting Company can update your
labels for you, or you can access the
requirements:
For food allergen labeling requirements, see:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/alrgact.html
For trans fat labeling requirements, see:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/transfat |
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© Food Consulting Company, 2005
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