JUNE 2004
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
...INTOUCH... Volume 5/Number 6 -
June 4, 2004
Monthly Updates on Government Action Affecting Food
Labels
Brought to you by: Food Consulting Company
Your source for food label help at
www.foodlabels.com
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
Greetings! Food Consulting Company simplifies all
your
food label projects! For speedy online ordering, go
to
http://www.foodlabels.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Publications Tap Expertise on Food Labels Carb Claims
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Food Consulting Company was quoted from the company's
March 2004 press release on carbohydrate labeling by
three separate food industry publications (Food
Engineering,
April 1, 2004; Supermarket News, March 22, 2004; Food
Ingredient News, March 2004) and the Kansas City Star
newspaper, April 13, 2004.
The press release alerted interested parties to FDA's
re-
strictions for labeling foods with carbohydrate
claims. The
press release can be read at
http://www.foodlabels.com/pr_30104.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Confirmation for Mono & Poly Fat Values on Nutrition
Labels
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To assure compliance with FDA Trans Fat labeling
regula-
tions, Food Consulting Company recently sought
confirmation
from FDA on how fat values should be reported when
mono-
unsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are listed
in the
Nutrition Facts.
Both monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats can
have both cis- and trans-configured fatty acids. An
FDA
official confirmed that all trans-configured fats, no
matter if
monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, must be included
in
the Trans Fat value on the Nutrition Facts label, and
that
these trans-configured fats cannot be counted in
monoun-
saturated fat and polyunsaturated fat totals. Only
those
fatty acids in the cis form can be counted as
monounsat-
urated fat and polyunsaturated fat when those fat
types are
listed in the Nutrition Facts label.
...INTOUCH... Comments:
Ingredient manufacturers are not always reporting the
fatty
acids on ingredient spec sheets according to Nutrition
Facts label regulations. Consequently, food labelers
should not assume the spec sheet values are compliant
with FDA regulations for Nutrition Facts label
values. An
indication that spec sheet values are not in
compliance
with FDA rules for Nutrition Facts labeling is when
adding
the values for monounsaturated, polyunsaturated,
saturated,
and trans fat together produces a value greater than
the
total fat value given. Also, when the trans fat
value is not
included on an ingredient spec sheet, food labelers
should
not automatically assume that the trans fat value can
be
calculated by subtracting the sum of monounsaturated,
polyunsaturated, and saturated fats from total fats,
because
the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated values given
could include trans-configured fatty acids.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahead of FDA Regulations TTB Sets Low Carb Standard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Independent of FDA and in response to alcohol beverage
producer requests, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and
Trade
Bureau (TTB) has set an "interim standard" for the use
of the
term "low carbohydrate" (or "low carb"). According to
the
standard, alcoholic beverages containing 7g or less
carbo-
hydrate per serving may be labeled as "low
carbohydrate."
"Reduced carbohydrate," "lower carbohydrate," and
"fewer
carbohydrates" can also be used on alcoholic beverage
labels under certain circumstances. The interim
standard
prohibits the use of "net carbohydrates" and
"effective
carbohydrates."
Prior to setting a "final standard" for use of
carbohydrate
claims, TTB has stated that the bureau prefers to have
the
benefit of FDA's decision-making process.
See interim standards beginning on page eight of TTB
Ruling:
www.ttb.gov/alcohol/info/revrule/rules/2004-1.pdf
...INTOUCH... Comments:
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)
was the predecessor agency of TTB.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
FYI: Food Consulting Company is frequently asked to
identify the minimum requirements for FDA compliance.
Generally these are: product identity, net contents
state-
ment, nutrition facts label, ingredient declaration,
and
signature line (name and address of responsible
party).
The "Full Label Compliance Package" for food labels at
http://www.foodlabels.com/services.htm
provides every-
thing labelers need to comply with FDA regulations and
to position a product in the best possible light
within
the law.
© Food Consulting Company, 2004. |