Volume 13, Number
3 - March 2013
Greetings from Food Label News.
In this issue you’ll read about the ins and
outs of FDA's rule making process. We also continue our
series on database nutrition analysis with the fifth
installment focused on setting serving sizes. Be sure to
check out the conversation on this and other important
topics at the
Food Label Community on LinkedIn. Happy reading!
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FDA Rule Making Process
What are the differences between a proposed rule, final
rule, guidance and regulation? Deciphering the implications
can be confusing and many are left thinking "Just
tell me what to do!"
FDA's rule making process follows a series of
steps that typically spans several years.
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Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM)
– Optional for FDA but used
strategically to solicit comments on specific
aspects of a topic before drafting a Proposed
Rule. |
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ANPRM Comment Period – A defined
period, when FDA collects input
from industry, consumer groups, and other interested
stakeholders. FDA's review and evaluation follows. |
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Proposed Rule – A
Proposed Rule is published in the Federal Register;
includes FDA's response to important
comments. |
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Proposed Rule Comment Period
– Stakeholders are again invited to give
feedback to FDA for FDA's review and
evaluation. |
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Final Rule – Final Rule is published in the
Federal Register. |
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Compliance Date – Uniform Compliance
Dates allow a minimum of one year for
industry to translate a Final Rule into
compliant labeling. |
In addition to directional guidance available from ANPRMs
and Proposed Rules, FDA offers
guidance in other forms such as letters to industry,
compliance policy guides, draft guidance, and Q&A documents. |
What's News in the
Food Label Community
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New nutrition standards for all foods
sold in U.S. schools |
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Industry attorneys beg FDA to define "natural" |
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FDA progress on Final Rule for gluten-free |
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Use of the term "natural color" on an EU label |
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FTC's policing of advertising & what's
happening in Canada |
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Connect with
other food labelers on LinkedIn |
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Reader Favorites
Proposed Rule coming for across-the-board Nutrition Facts
changes |
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Search answers
to food label questions |
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A proposed rule is not enforceable as it is not yet
codified into regulations, but does provide directional
guidance before a Final Rule is published. The
Proposed Rule for gluten-free issued in 2007 is a good
example of this. |
Nutrition Analysis Series - Part 5 of 10
Set the Serving Size
This month's installment in our 10-part series overviews
Step 5 of the Nutrition Analysis process: how to
determine the serving size. This series is based on a widely
regarded publication distributed by ESHA Research to
users of Genesis R&D, the industry's leading nutrition
analysis software.
View/print
Part 5 of the
series
If you
missed earlier parts of the series you can view and
download them now. (Get
Part 1,
Part 2,
Part 3
or
Part 4.) The print-ready pages from all parts of the
series will add up to the complete guide.
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In this step, you will find broad food
categories and guidelines for serving size along
with the Code of Federal Regulations references
that govern this important aspect of the food
label. |
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Reader Q&A
Find
answers to our readers'
questions or send us
your question for an
upcoming issue.
Q. |
When you put a serving size and the appropriate
nutritional breakdown with it on a child's cereal, how
do you calculate their daily nutritional needs? For
example, if it's a cereal and it contains 10g of fat per
serving, how can the percentage of a four-year-old's
intake be the same as an eight-year-old's?
− F.G.,
no state or company information provided |
A. |
While FDA has special
requirements for nutrition labeling of products intended
for children under the age of 2, children 2 to 4 years
old, and pregnant/lactating women, there are no special
labeling requirements for children 4 yrs old and older.
The Daily Values (DVs) to use are those required for the
general population.
Read more. |
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What matters in food labeling
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now in its 13th year, is a monthly e-newsletter reaching
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welcome your colleagues to subscribe for news and insights
about food labels:
www.foodlabels.com/subscribe
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food label partner
Food Consulting Company,
founded in 1993, provides nutrition analysis, food labeling,
and regulatory support for more than 1,500 clients worldwide.
Our
guarantee: 100% regulatory compliance.
Contact us
for the help you need now.
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