Food Label News - August 2012

Volume 13, Number 8 - August 2012

Hello from Food Label News. As you sip your umbrella drink on vacation, take a look at what’s up this month in the world of food labels. We discuss Health Canada’s newly issued position on gluten-free food label claims and also share highlights from Food Consulting Company clients. If you’re looking ahead to the holidays, 'tis the season to better understand food labels for gift packs in our popular Reader Q&A section. You can also search for answers to your labeling and regulatory questions at www.foodlabels.com. Enjoy!

In this issue you'll find:

"Thanks so much for your help...and for demystifying the regulations!! We appreciate the on-time delivery despite the different time zones."

– Elizabeth Graham,
Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd.

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Gluten-free on Food Labels in Canada

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Client Highlights: Food Labels and Regulatory

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Reader Q&A: Gift pack food labels

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News from the Food Label Community

Karen C. Duester, President

Gluten-free on Food Labels in Canada

Gluten-free foods have grown in popularity as a health choice for those with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. In late June, Health Canada officially released its position on gluten-free claims; concurrently, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that this position will guide the agency’s compliance and enforcement activities.

Per Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations (B.24.018), a gluten-free claim is any representation in labeling or advertising that states, suggests or implies that a food is gluten-free. All information including trademarks, brand names, pictures, logos or slogans that suggest or imply that the food is gluten-free will be assessed against the criteria below and is subject to appropriate enforcement by CFIA.

Highlights of Health Canada’s current gluten-free position:

•	A product labeled gluten-free must have less than 20 ppm of gluten, a level that is considered protective for the majority of people with Celiac disease and is consistent with international standards.
•	Any gluten that is present due to cross-contamination in food labeled gluten-free should be as low as reasonably achievable and must not surpass 20 ppm of gluten.
•	Manufacturers and importers should have good manufacturing/importing practices in place to avoid cross-contamination.
•	In all instances, if more than 20 ppm of gluten is present in a food labeled as gluten-free, the product will be in violation of the above code and/or Section 5.1 of the Food and Drugs Act, and could be subject to recall or other enforcement action.

Reader Q&A

Q.	I'm creating a gift set to be sold wholesale. All items in the gift set are pre-packaged and labeled with the nutritional information. I need to know regulations on labeling the outer box with contents included. − D.P., Indiana, Snack Foods Distributor
A.	The outer label for a gift pack sold at retail must contain all 5 required label components with one exception: the nutrition information may be included either on the outer label, inside the package, or attached to the outer package. Read more.

See Reader Q&A archive for an additional 50+ questions.

Send us your question for an upcoming issue.

What's new in the
Food Label Community on

Join the conversation

Most popular this month:

•	Labeling bacon as an ingredient in FDA foods
•	"Made in USA"

Coming next month:

•	Disclosure statements vs. disclaimer statements

In the U.S., the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) mandated that FDA establish a definition for the term gluten-free and uniform conditions for its use in the labeling of foods. To date, FDA has published a Proposed Rule for gluten-free. Like Health Canada’s position, the U.S. gluten-free rule requires that the finished food contains less than 20 ppm of gluten. For more information about U.S. gluten-free, see previous Food Label News reports: Sep 2010, Apr 2009, Feb 2007, Oct 2005, Aug 2005, Jul 2005.

Client Highlights: Food Labels and Regulatory

Food label regulations can be challenging for start-up companies, established multi-national retailers, and importers alike. Those involved in food labels can learn from how other companies manage the nuances of food label regulations.

Start-up company launches novel beverage concept - Navigating food labels and Nutrition Facts for a new-to-the-world beverage brand in a highly competitive industry is no easy task, especially for a young, start-up company. With an outsourced regulatory strategy, they were able to keep laser focus on core competencies: building, marketing and selling their new brand. Read the case study.

Consistent food labels and Nutrition Facts across a major national retailer’s private label vendors - Managing a large, private label brand that spans many categories has its challenges. Ensuring that nutritional information and food labels are consistent, accurate, and compliant across hundreds of suppliers and products is essential. Read the case study.

Americanizing foreign packaging – For a foreign foods importer, understanding U.S. regulations is not trivial. This food importer overcame food label challenges and ensured that their products easily passed through U.S. Customs and FDA Inspections at the border. The result was a successful U.S. introduction and 100% regulatory compliance. Read the case study.


	A special invitation: What’s your process to ensure 100% regulatory compliance? Submit your company for consideration and if chosen you’ll be featured in Food Label News. An excellent way to showcase your work both internally and for the food label community. Click here.

What matters in food labeling

Food Label News, now in its 12th year, is a monthly e-newsletter reaching nearly 7,000 subscribers around the world. We welcome your colleagues to subscribe for news and insights about food labels: www.foodlabels.com/subscribe

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Ingredient exemptions and incidental additives

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