Volume
10, Number 6 - June 2009
IN THIS ISSUE:
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About Food Consulting Company
" I have received your newsletter for
several years and I have always found it
very interesting and helpful in the work
I do. Thank you for doing it."
– Janet Lilleberg
University of Minnesota
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Dear Readers, This month begins the
fourth year of Food Label News Reader Q&A
Spot. Read
Service Tip to
learn about this free service. |
Q. My
products are syrups and fruit toppings; what
determines if the label should use 'fluid
ounces' or 'net weight' to declare net quantity
of contents?
H.J., Food Manufacturer, GA
A.
The Code of
Federal Regulations says that the 'net quantity
of contents' statement shall be in terms of fluid
measure if the food is liquid, or in terms of
weight if the food is solid, semisolid or
viscous, or a mixture of solid and liquid.
Read
more.
Submit a question
for Reader Q&A (no charge). |
MEAL Act - Restaurant Labeling Bill in Congress
The Menu Education and Labeling Act (MEAL Act,) was
introduced in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of
Representatives (Congress) May 14, 2009. As
written the bill would amend the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend the food
labeling requirements of the Nutrition Labeling
and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA) to food served,
processed, or prepared in a restaurant that is
part of a chain. This is the fourth time MEAL
has been introduced in Congress since 2003.
The 2009 MEAL Act is the second restaurant
labeling bill introduced in Congress in 2009.
The Labeling Education and Nutrition Act of 2009
(LEAN Act) was introduced March 2009, and reported
in the
Food Label News
April issue.
LEAN was supported by the National Restaurant
Association and this was also reported in
the April
Food Label News.
In part MEAL
requires:
-
a statement on
menus that is adjacent to each standard item
that reports the amount of calories,
saturated fat, trans fat, carbohydrate and
sodium per serving
-
information
provided in a prominent location on the menu
explaining the significance of the
per-serving information in context of a
total daily diet
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menu boards,
including drive-through menu boards to
report the calories per item adjacent to
each item
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calories per
food item/beverage sold at a salad bar,
buffet line, cafeteria line, or similar
self-service facility to be reported
adjacent to each food offered
Read
bill - search
bill numbers S1048 and H2426
Commentary: Besides the recent efforts to
establish federal laws to require restaurant
labeling, several cities, counties and states have
passed or are working to pass such laws. Food
Consulting Company helps restaurants provide all
types of nutrition and allergen information to
meet customer needs and demands, including
calories and other nutrition information for individual
items and meal combinations.
More Information
or
Contact Us.
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Agendas Inform on Status of Food Labels Rules
The May 11, 2009, Federal Register contained the
semiannual regulatory agenda for agencies in the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS.)
FDA is one of eleven agencies in HHS. The agenda
is a forecast of rulemaking activities that the
agencies expect to publish as proposed rules or
final rules within the next 12 months. FDA's
food labeling activities in the agenda are:
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Long-Term
Actions: Current Good Manufacturing Practice
in Manufacturing, Packing, Labeling, or
Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements
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Pre-rule: Safe Handling
Statements, Labeling of Shell Eggs;
Refrigeration of Shell Eggs Held for Retail
Distribution
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Final Rule: Label Requirement for Food That Has
Been Refused Admission into the United
States
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Completed: Cochineal Extract and Carmine Label
Declaration. Final Rule and Guidance for
Industry issued.
-
Completed:
Review of sections 101.9 and 101.12
nutrition labeling and serving size
regulations. Conclusion: These regulations
retained without change.
Supplementary
information to the agenda states that due to the
statutorily dictated timing of the Agenda the
actions listed do not necessarily reflect the
policy perspectives of the Obama Administration;
however, the timing of the October 2009 Agenda
will provide HHS with an opportunity to set out
a regulatory agenda that does reflect policy
directions of the Obama Administration.
See
HHS Agenda.
Commentary:
See January 2009
Food Label News
for a report on the last HHS
regulatory agenda for 2008.
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Cochineal / Carmine Required on Food
Labels
FDA has issued
'Guidance for Industry-Cochineal Extract and
Carmine: Declaration by Name on the Label of All
Foods and Cosmetic Products That Contain These
Color Additives.' FDA published a final rule in the
January 5, 2009, Federal Register that amended
its regulations to require the declaration by
name of the color additive. The guidance
document restates in plain language the legal
requirements of the final rule. The final rule
is effective on January 5, 2011; all affected
products introduced into interstate
commerce on or after this date must fully
comply.
Read
Guidance
Commentary:
Food Consulting Company can review formulations
and product labels and help
companies comply with proper labeling for color
additives. See
services; place
orders.
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At Your Service: Since June 2006,
Food Label News has provided 36 free answers to
questions submitted by readers such as the 'net
quantity of contents' question above; see
Reader Q&A page.
Submit your question
for consideration in an upcoming issue. The top
three questions during 2009 (in terms of value
and broad appeal to Food Label News readers)
will be acknowledged with a $25 thank you check
to the submitters in January 2010.
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Copyright 2009, Food Consulting Company.
www.foodlabels.com.
All rights reserved.
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