Volume
7, Number 11 - November 2006
IN THIS ISSUE:
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About Food Consulting Company
"Thanks. Everything is top notch. You
did a superb job."
~
Mike Carpenter
DM Snacks Corp. N.A.
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Greetings! This issue of Food Label News marks
the beginning of the seventh year of publication
and free distribution to clients and guest
subscribers. Food Consulting Company is proud to
report that Food Label News has been delivered
each month for 72 months straight! The entire
collection of past issues is available at
foodlabels.com.
As with this newsletter, you can count on Food
Consulting Company for accurate, on-time project
completion and expert guidance on applying FDA
regulations. Visit
Food Consulting Company
on the Web. |
Q. If MSG
is a sub-ingredient of an ingredient I use and
is present in a very small amount in my product,
do I have to list it on my label?
T. E., Tennessee
A. Yes,
FDA requires that all ingredients, including
sub-ingredients that have a functional or
technical effect, be included within the
ingredient statement. Read more:
Reader Q&A Page
Submit a question for
Reader Q&A. Selected questions will be
answered at no charge. For speedy answers to
regulatory questions, see
Services. |
FDA Opens Talk on "Functional Food"
Labels
FDA has announced a public hearing (December 5,
2006) regarding conventional foods that are
marketed as "functional foods." Currently FDA
has neither a definition nor a specific
regulation concerning these foods. The Agency
believes that existing provisions of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are adequate to
ensure that such foods are safe and lawful, but
also believes that it is in the best interest of
public health to begin a dialog with industry,
consumers, and other stakeholders regarding the
regulation of these products.
Dietary supplements are not part of the
discussion since they are regulated by Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).
See
Federal Register
announcement.
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FDA / FTC Warns About Deceptive Internet
Claims
FDA announced that FDA and the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) are working with government
agencies in other countries to stop deceptive
Internet advertisements and sales of products
misrepresented as cures or treatments for
diabetes. This joint initiative originated with
a Web-surf by an organization of law enforcement
authorities with members from United States,
Mexico, and Canada.
As of October 19, 2006, approximately 180
warning letters/advisories had been sent to
online outlets in the three countries; the
majority of the identified abuse was by dietary
supplement companies. Each of the warning
letters advises a company that FDA reviewed the
website and determined that therapeutic claims
made establish one or more of the company's
products as a drug. FDA warns that
failure to promptly correct the violations
specified could result in enforcement action
without further notice.
See
FDA announcement.
Commentary: Labels of conventional foods and
dietary supplements cannot make claims
that a product will cure, mitigate, treat, or
prevent a disease. To assure your product label claims are
compliant with FDA regulations, contact
Food
Consulting Company.
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Promoting Whole Grains on Food Labels
Food Consulting Company continues to be queried
about labeling foods with whole grain claims.
FDA's last published action on whole grain
labeling was published in February, 2006 as
Draft Guidance open for public comment. FDA has
not announced a timeline for further regulatory
action.
Meanwhile, non-government organizations are
developing programs to promote the health
benefits of whole grains. At least two
organizations offer whole grain product
packagers the right to use proprietary label
symbols/stamps that convey information about
whole grain content to consumers.
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American Heart Association (AHA) --
A fee is required to use the "heart-check
mark with whole grains" and the product must
meet AHA criteria that in part requires a
product to be 51% by weight/reference
amount. Additional criteria pertain to
fiber, fat, cholesterol, sodium and percent
daily value for specified nutrients. Read
more:
AHA website.
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Whole Grains Council --
Paid membership to the Whole Grains Council
is required to use the organization's whole
grain stamps that include the "Whole Grain"
stamp for products with 8 grams of whole
grain or more per serving and "100% Whole
Grain" stamp for products with 16 grams of
whole grain or more per serving. Read more:
Whole Grains Council
website.
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Service Tip: Leap Ahead with Regulatory
Support
There is no need to delay progress on food
labeling projects that stall due to confusion
about FDA regulations. Food Consulting Company
provides accurate and ready help with your
purchase of Ongoing Regulatory Support or with
another full-service option that meets your
needs. See
Services.
Does your service
help food labelers? Would you like to see it
featured here?
Contact Us. |
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© Food Consulting Company, 2006
13724 Recuerdo Drive, Del Mar, CA 92014 USA
tel 800-793-2844 or 858-793-4658
fax 800-522-3545 or 858-712-3323
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