Food Label News ArchiveFood Label News SubscriptionsNutritional Analysis Food Labels - Food Nutrition Facts LabelsFood Consulting Company: Nutrition-Labeling-Regulatory

Volume 16, Number 9 - September 2016

Hello from Food Label News. If you've enjoyed a brief vacation this summer from thinking about how the new labeling regulations will affect your products, you may appreciate the New Nutrition Label Series, continuing this month with an overview of changes to serving sizes for typical Americans. You may also consult the Food Label Community on LinkedIn for additional conversations about the new regulations or let us help with a full label compliance review to start your transition plans.

In this issue you'll find:

 

"Really appreciate the very personalized service you've provided to help make the Fancy Food Show in New York a success for us."

– Magdalena Reiter  
Butterfly Limited  

Changes to Serving Sizes
Part 4, New Nutrition Label Series

What's News in the Food Label Community

Reader Q&A: When to use "Contains 2% or less"

 

Karen C. Duester, President


Changes to Serving Sizes
Part 4, New Nutrition Label Series

Nationwide consumption surveys for food and beverage indicate that Americans are consuming more than they did 20 years ago. FDA's new nutrition labeling regulations mirror these consumption patterns with changes to reference amounts customarily consumed (RACCs). Note that these FDA-established reference amounts are not recommendations for what people should be eating but rather represent important nutrition information for the amount of food people typically eat.

Reader Favorites

Common mistakes food labelers make

Search foodlabels.com

Here are the highlights of the changes, very similar to what was proposed.

About 20% of food product categories are updated.

•

The majority of changes reflect an increase in RACCs, such as carbonated and many non-carbonated beverages (from 240 mL to 360 mL); ice cream (from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup); canned fish, shellfish and game meat (from 55g to 85g); sugar (from 4g to 8g).

•

A few RACCs are reduced, such as yogurt (from 225g to 170g) and most candies (from 40g to 30g).

•

Some category descriptions are expanded to include more food items. For example, scones and crumpets added to the general bakery category (RACC =55g); crepes added to the category with french toast and pancakes (RACC unchanged from 110g prepared).

About 25 new food product categories are added.

•

Some food items have become their own category. For example: bagels, toaster pastries and muffins are a new combined category (RACC =110g) and are no longer in the general bakery category (RACC = 55g).

•

New categories include:

–

Egg roll, dumpling, wonton or potsticker wrappers (RACC = 20g)

–

Cocoa powder, carob powder, unsweetened (RACC = 1 tbsp)

–

Milk, milk substitute or fruit juice concentrates (without alcohol), drink mixers, sweetened cocoa powder (RACC = amount to make 240 mL of drink)

–

Drink mixes (without alcohol), flavored syrups and powdered drink mixes (RACC = amount to make 360 mL of drink)

–

Seasoning oils and seasoning sauces (RACC = 1 tbsp)

–

Seasoning paste (RACC = 1 tsp)

–

Appetizers, hors d’oeuvres and mini mixed dishes (RACC = 85g, 120g with gravy or sauce topping)

–

Dried soup mix, bouillon (RACC = amount to make 245g)

–

After dinner confectioneries: small chocolate squares, butter mints (RACC = 10g)

–

Dried vegetables, dried tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, dried mushrooms, dried seaweed (RACC = 5g, 10g in oil)

–

Dried seaweed sheets (RACC = 3g)

–

Fresh and canned sprouts (RACC = 1/4 cup)

Next month we continue with Part 5 of the New Nutrition Label Series: Serving Up Servings Per Container - Dual Declaration Labels. Here is what you need to know if you missed Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3 of the series.

New RACC amounts and added categories impact nutrient content claims and servings per container. To ensure compliance, food labelers will need to review product formulations, package sizes and claims. For example, a bagel previously labeled as 2 servings according to the former 55g RACC, will now be a single serving according to the revised 110g RACC. The higher nutrition values may allow a new high iron claim or no longer enable a low fat claim. Consider a full label compliance review in light of new nutrition labeling regulations to ensure compliance.


What's News in the Food Label Community

•

FDA updates: Resources for industry Nutrition Facts label, Vending machine labeling guidance, Final guidance GRAS ingredients, Draft guidance dietary supplements

•

Unit wrappers labeling (14+ comments)

•

Sweet cocoa and vegetable fat coating (13+ comments)

•

President signs national GMO labeling bill (7+ comments)

•

Servings per container – no more "about"? (7+ comments)

Join Food Label Community. Already a member, view Discussions.

Reader Q&A

Find answers to our readers' questions or send us your question for an upcoming issue.

Q.

If our ingredient supplier provided us with an ingredient statement that includes "contains 2% or less of each of the following: ...", is it ok for us to simply list all of the ingredients in our ingredient statement or is the "contains 2%" phrase required?
J.K., Pennsylvania, Consultant 

A.

The Code of Federal Regulations requires that ingredients be listed in descending order by weight in the formula unless they are present at 2% or less (and then they can be in any order following the "contains 2% or less" phrase). In your example, when a formula has an ingredient that uses the "contains 2% or less" phrase for sub-ingredients, it is not acceptable to remove the phrase unless your supplier provides you with the exact order of predominance. Read More.


What Matters in Food Labeling

Food Label News, now in its 16th year, is a monthly e-newsletter reaching over 9,500 subscribers around the world. We welcome your colleagues to subscribe for news and insights about food labels: www.foodlabels.com/subscribe

 

Your Virtual 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.

You may reprint all or part of this newsletter provided you attribute it to Food Label News and include a link to www.foodlabels.com.

© 2016. Food Consulting Company, Del Mar, CA. All rights reserved.