Volume
10, Number 7 - July 2009
IN THIS ISSUE:
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About Food Consulting Company
" Thanks for sharing your knowledge
with us. I am quite proud of what we created
and will be sure to let our team know that
you provide great services should we need
future guidance or project work."
– Tara DelloIacono
Clif Bar & Company
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Dear Readers, Food Consulting Company is
a ready-resource when you need food labeling and
restaurant labeling help. We know labeling work
can be tedious and eat up your valuable time.
Call on us to help. See
www.foodlabels.com. |
Q. I heard
that stevia can now be used in conventional
foods (and not just dietary supplements). If true, are there special
considerations I need to be aware of for
labeling?
S.S., Food Manufacturer,
IL
A.
Only rebaudioside A
(RebA), an isolated component of the
stevia plant is allowed by FDA for use in
conventional foods.
Read
more.
Submit a question
for Reader Q&A (no charge). |
MEAL/LEAN
Compromise for Restaurant Labeling
On June 10, 2009, three US Senate healthcare
committee members announced in a press release an
industry and consumer-backed agreement that
combines elements of the Menu Education and
Labeling (MEAL) Act and the Labeling Education
and Nutrition (LEAN) Act. According to the press
release:
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restaurants
that are part of a chain with 20 or more
locations doing business under the same name
would be required to disclose the number of
calories per menu item on the menu or menu
board
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additional
nutrition information (total calories and
calories from fat, and amounts of fat,
saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total
carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates,
sugars, dietary fiber and protein) would
need to be immediately available in written
form
-
operators of
20 or more vending machines would be
required to disclose calories of food items
offered in vending machines
The Senate
committee
press release
indicated that the compromise will be a
component of health reform legislation currently
being debated.
National Restaurant Association
issued a separate
press release
indicating support for the agreement and stated
that the needs of both consumers and the
restaurant industry will be best served by
federal legislation that replaces varying state
and local ordinances with a national standard.
Commentary:
Food Label News reported on LEAN Act in
April 2009
and MEAL Act in
June 2009. Food
Consulting Company is ready to help
restaurateurs and vending machine operators
provide nutrition information.
Contact us.
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FDA Proposes Food Labels Symbols Study
FDA is proposing to conduct an experimental
study to assess quantitative consumer reactions
to front-of-package nutrition symbols. The proposed study is described in the June 1,
2009, Federal Register.
In part the study design uses a Web-based survey
to collect information from a sample of 2400
adults. Participants would view a label from a
set of food labels that vary in the presence and
type of symbol, the type of food product, and
the quality of nutritional attributes of the
product. The study would measure various
consumer reactions described in the notice.
Read
Federal Register notice
Commentary: Front-of-Pack labeling is a
hot topic among Food Label News readers,
and the newsletter has previously reported on
FDA's study of food labels symbols:
FDA Begins Public Look at Food Labels Symbols,
September 2007
FDA Guidance: Front-of-Package Symbols,
February 2009
FDA Nutrition Roundtable Report,
February 2009
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Dietitian Group Reviews Food Labels Symbols
Experts from the
American Dietetic Association recently reviewed
five nutrient profiling
programs that are designed for use in
supermarket chains as symbols on shelf-tags or
on labels. The dietitian group looked at who developed
the program, the method used to
rate foods, where symbols
will appear (shelf-tag or label), and stores where
symbols will appear.
The profiling
programs are Guiding Stars, Healthy Ideas,
Nutrition iQ, NuVal, and Smart Choices Program.
Findings by the
dietitian group were reported to the public in a
May 26, 2009,
press release.
The dietitians caution that the usefulness of
shelf-tag and on-package symbols to consumers is
yet to be measured.
Commentary: Food Consulting Company can help
clients determine if a product currently in our
system meets the criteria of various symbol
programs. New products can also be reviewed to
determine if they meet criteria.
Contact us.
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At Your Service: Choosing
Full Label Compliance
for a new or newly formulated product provides
you with a completed database nutrition analysis
and nutrition facts panel; fully compliant
ingredient statement including allergens
properly listed; label layout instructions and
final label review; 90 day support for completed
work; your time saved to work on other matters;
peace of mind that labels are fully compliant.
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Copyright 2009, Food Consulting Company.
www.foodlabels.com.
All rights reserved.
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