Volume 11, Number 11 - November
2010
Hello from Food
Label News.
From shiny ovens and work tables to recycled beverage cans,
we celebrate our 10th anniversary of publishing Food
Label News glittering with pride. In this issue we take
a look back to see how far we and the industry have come.
As we mark the 10th year of bringing you this e-newsletter,
we invite you to join the
Food Label Community and
expand your network further. Thank you to those who have
already connected with us on
LinkedIn.
We look ahead to the next 10 years as we broaden our circle
and yours! |
In this issue
you'll find:
Karen C. Duester,
President |
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"I think a lot of Food Label
News. My boss was RAVING about it as
well. You cover items and issues that are
overlooked in the trade magazines."
– Steve Wilk
Costco Wholesale
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A Decade in Review
A decade ago began our new
millennium. We witnessed the biggest merger in the country's
history as America Online bought Time Warner, Oprah Winfrey
launched O Magazine, and the U.S. dominated the Summer
Olympics in Sydney with 40 medals.
The food industry also has had
its share of developments and milestones. The "low carb" fad
has come and gone but "healthy" is here to stay. We've seen
the impact on our food labels including new regulations for
trans fat and allergen declarations, the growth of natural
and organic foods, as well as the demand for lower sodium
alternatives. New regulations for Front-of-Pack and
restaurant menu labeling continue the momentum toward
helping consumers make smart food choices.
Throughout this decade, Food Label News has kept you
current. We take this opportunity to reprise the hottest
topics of the last 10 years, based on feedback from you, now
6,000 readers strong. It's more than nostalgia – these
topics are as relevant today as they were when they were
first reported.
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Trans fat and allergen
labeling – January 1, 2006, marked the first time FDA
required food labelers to include trans fat within the
Nutrition Facts Panel. At the same time, Congress
required that the "Big 8" allergens be identified in
plain common English in the ingredient statement or in a
separate "Contains" statement. See
Food Label News
2006 web page.
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Front-of-Pack labeling
– Over the past several years a plethora of nutrition
symbols and systems appeared on the front of packages
which confused consumers and food labelers alike.
Food Label News
reported on the December 2008 FDA roundtable and
provided access to the FDA slides to our readers.
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Regulatory Guide for
Label Claims – We collaborated with Silliker to
develop a regulatory guide that summarizes nutrition
claims on food labels. Food Label News featured the
guide as a 10-part series. View
Silliker Nutrient and Health
Claims U.S. Regulatory Guide.
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Keeping You Current
Phase I report on
Front-of-Pack labeling from IOM
GMA-FMI Front-of-Pack Nutrition
Labeling Initiative recently announced
Nutrition Facts Education Campaign:
a new collaboration between Health Canada & Food and
Consumer Products of Canada
Food Additive Petition Expedited
Review guidance revision from FDA
Lawsuit over "misleading multivitamin
claims" settled by State of California & Bayer
From the Archive
Q&A's about
allergen labeling:
Advisory allergen labeling
"Contains" allergen statement
Release agents as ingredients
Lecithin as an allergen
Nut and soybean oils
MSG ingredient listing
More
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In the next 10
years we predict changes in food labeling regulations that
will have widespread impact on the industry. For example,
changes to the Nutrition Facts Panel are likely to
include: serving sizes more aligned with consumer behavior,
formatting that makes calories more prominent, modifications
to mandatory and voluntary nutrients, and changes to daily
values consistent with IOM reports. We look forward to
keeping you current on these and other issues important for
food labelers. |
5 Must-Haves for FDA Food Labels:
Instructional Series
Part 4 of 5
In the last three
months, we have profiled the five required
components for every FDA regulated food label. In
addition to
Product Identity,
Net Contents Statement,
and
Nutrition Facts,
the fourth required component is the Ingredient
Statement.
Ingredient
Statement
All ingredients
contained in the formula must be listed on the food
label in descending order of predominance by weight.
That is, the ingredient that weighs the most is
listed first and the ingredient that weighs the
least is listed last. Other regulations regarding
the ingredient statement include:
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Ingredient names -
Specific common or usual names of the ingredient
must be used. For example, "sugar" is used
instead of "sucrose". An exception is that
non-certified colors, flavors, and spices may be
listed collectively provided they are not
derived from known allergens (see further
explanation in the bull's eye section below).
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Placement - The
ingredient list is placed on the same label
panel as the name and address of the
manufacturer, packer or distributor. This may be
either the information panel (IP) or the
principal display panel (PDP).
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Type size - Use a
type size that is at least 1/16 inch in height
(based on the lower case "o" unless all upper
case letters are used) and that is prominent,
conspicuous, and easy to read.
Consult the
FDA Food Labeling Guide
for more information about the ingredient list on
food labels.
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Major food allergens (the "Big 8") must be declared on all
food labels in the U.S., as required by the Food Allergen
Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA), Title
II of Public Law 108-282. Major food allergens are:
crustacean shellfish, egg, fish, milk, peanut, soybeans,
tree nuts and wheat. These major food allergens account for
90% of all food allergies. Allergens other than these
"Big 8" are not subject to FALCPA labeling
requirements. For more information about listing allergens,
the "Contains" statement and advisory labeling about
cross-contamination, consult
From the Archive in this issue (above right). |
Q. |
Can my product (an aseptically shelf stable ready-to-eat
pudding) that is made in the U.S. and labeled for sale
in Canada state "2% or 1% or less" in the ingredient
statement?
− A.H., Established Food Company, Pennsylvania |
A. |
Canadian regulations make
no mention of an "X% or less" clause for ingredient
statements. In the U.S., the clause "2% or less of the
following" (or 1.5%, 1%, or 0.5%, as appropriate) can be
used at the end of the ingredient statement to list
minor ingredients in any order. Canadian regulations
specify that ONLY specific classes of ingredients can be
shown at the end of the ingredient statement in any
order. For these specific classes of ingredients in
Canada, the "X% or less of the following" clause could
be used, but it is not common practice because it
significantly lengthens the ingredient statement given
the English-French bilingual labeling requirement.
Read more. |
At Your Service
Food
Consulting Company,
founded in 1993, provides nutrition analysis, food labeling
and regulatory support to ensure 100% compliance with FDA
regulations. With well over 1,000 clients worldwide, we’re
pleased to provide
information to address your
food labeling needs.
We value our relationships and
are working to stay connected. To build your network, we
invite you to connect with us via
LinkedIn and while you’re
there, join the
Food Label Community.
You may reprint all or part of this newsletter,
provided you attribute it to Food Label News
and include a link to
www.foodlabels.com.
©
2010. Food Consulting Company, Del Mar, CA. All rights reserved.
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