FDA 2018 Strategic Policy Roadmap – What We Expect

We look ahead to what food labeling policy changes are part of FDA’s 2018 roadmap. Not surprisingly, they are consistent with the agency’s primary initiative to help consumers make more informed, healthy food choices.

Specific FDA action items for 2018:

1. New Nutrition Facts label requirements – Industry continues to await additional guidance on FDA’s 2016 final rule. Just yesterday, FDA announced plans to finalize the compliance date this spring. In the interim, FDA will use enforcement discretion until the agency confirms or adjusts the previously proposed compliance date of January 1, 2020 (January 1, 2021, for businesses with less than $10 million in food sales).
    
2. New restaurant menu labeling regulations – While the compliance date remains May 7, 2018, FDA commits to issue more substantive and pragmatic guidance for implementation.
    
3. Public education campaign for new nutrition labeling – FDA plans to help consumers understand the benefits of the new Nutrition Facts label and new restaurant menu labeling once the new labels are fully implemented in the market. Educational videos, campaigns through social media, and easy-to-understand websites will make consumers aware of how food labels can help them make healthier food choices.
    
4. Policy advancements to promote healthy eating – There are a number of actions that are intended to educate consumers and reduce nutrition-related death and disease: a) new definition of “healthy” which we speculate will include added sugars, consistent with the recent Nutrition Facts label change; b) more efficient review system for evaluating health claims; c) further guidance for reducing dietary sodium; d) modernize certain standards of identity to allow the development of healthier products; and e) more transparent ingredient information.

See the entire FDA 2018 Strategic Policy Roadmap here.

Late Breaking News: Yesterday, after this article was prepared for publication, FDA announced availability of five new guidance documents specifically related to Nutrition Facts labeling (#1 above) and stated that a final rule regarding the compliance date will be published this spring. Read the press release and access the new guidances here.

Bullseye: The buzz around “healthy” continues. FDA looks for every opportunity to help consumers make more informed, healthy food choices. The emphasis on added sugars and reduced sodium, together with consumers’ desire for clean labeling, present real opportunities for food manufacturers to develop and reformulate products and be more on trend with consumer demands.

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Answers to Your Important Questions

Q. How do I name my Tuscan type spice blend that is not actually from Tuscany? Is Tuscan considered geographic or a type/style of cooking?
— J.P., Manufacturer, Texas

A. “Tuscan Style Spice Blend” is the correct product identification when the spice blend is not actually from Tuscany. A product can use a geographic reference on the label and not be considered misbranded if it meets one of four conditions. MORE

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