MARCH 2001
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...INTOUCH...
Monthly Updates on Government Action Affecting Food Labels
March
2, 2001
Brought to you by The Food Consulting Company
Your source for food label help
http://www.foodlabels.com
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Welcome to the March issue of ...INTOUCH...
Call or email if we can help. Karen
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NOW THE NEWS!
*** Saccharin Warning No Longer Required ***
Before leaving office, President Clinton signed
legislation to
remove the warning label that had been required since
1977,
on foods and beverages containing saccharin. Months
earlier, the federal government's National Toxicology
Program (NTP) had removed saccharin from its Ninth
Report
on Carcinogens.
*** FDA Warns Food Industry on Label Claims of Novel
Ingredients ***
In a Jan. 30 letter, FDA warned food companies that
adding
botanical and other novel ingredients to foods might
be in
violation of federal law. FDA is particularly
concerned with
label claims. The letter served to remind
manufacturers that
food additives and claims are regulated under the
Federal
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. For more information:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2001/ANS01070.html
*** FDA Provides
Guidance for Labeling of Bioengineered Foods ***
FDA has released a draft guidance entitled "Voluntary
Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not
Been
Developed Using Bioengineering'' to assist
manufacturers,
in voluntarily labeling their foods. Read draft at:
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/biolabgu.html.
Written comments are due by March 19, 2001.
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FYI TIP: Small companies who qualify for the small
business
exemption (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/sbel.html)
face a
huge barrier to increasing distribution when they
label foods
without Nutrition Facts Panels and UPC codes; most
retailers
will not carry products without these.
© Food Consulting Company, 2001. |