Volume 14, Number
12 - December 2014
Greetings from Food Label News.
As 2014 draws to a close so too does our series on how you
can get ready for the Proposed Label changes. Read the
entire series or a particular part you've missed to ensure
you're prepared. This month we also cover the important
subject of allowable net weight variances in our Reader Q&A.
Wishing you abundance this holiday season and a peaceful new
year ahead.
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Label Changes are Coming: Be
Prepared
with
Part 4 of 4-part Series
Americans are clearly eating more today than 20 years ago
when the Nutrition, Labeling and Education Act took hold.
Hence, FDA's proposed rules include changes related to
serving sizes for Nutrition Facts labeling.
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The proposed rule for changes to serving size draw upon data from recent nationwide
consumption surveys for food and beverage categories that
document typical behaviors. The agency used these data when
drafting new values for reference amounts customarily
consumed (RACC) to mirror actual consumption patterns. Note
that these FDA-established reference amounts are not
recommendations for what people should be eating.
Here is a snapshot of the changes:
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About 27 of 158 categories are updated.
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• |
Increase in certain RACCs, such as carbonated and many
non-carbonated beverages (from 240mL
to 360 mL); ice cream (from ½ cup to
1 cup); fish 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 categories are
added. |
• |
Some food items are
removed from category descriptions
and become their own category. For
example, bagels, toaster pastries
and muffins are removed from the
general bakery category (RACC =110g
instead of the previous 55g). |
• |
New category examples, many at the request of
industry groups, are appetizers and
mini mixed dishes (RACC = 85g, 120g
with gravy or sauce topping);
seasoning oils (RACC = 1 tbsp);
seasoning paste (RACC = 1 tsp);
dried seaweed sheets (RACC = 3g);
fresh or canned sprouts (RACC = ¼
cup); wrappers for egg roll,
dumpling or potsticker (RACC = 20g). |
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These changes present many implications for food
labelers. For example, nutrient content claims may no longer apply or a
disclosure statement may be required. You may want to research the full
set of regulations to understand how your product category will be
affected. Another alternative is to consider a Proposed Rule Label Audit
for a comprehensive assessment of your label claims, nutrient values,
percent daily values, servings per container, and RACCs.
Learn more. |
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What's News in the Food Label
Community
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Reader Q&A
Find
answers to our readers'
questions or send us
your question for an
upcoming issue.
Q. |
In both U.S. and Canada, is there an acceptable upper
limit variance for the declared net weight? For example,
if your declared net weight is 100 grams, can your
package contain 130 grams and still be compliant?
−
P.M., California,
Manufacturer
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A. |
In both countries, the allowable variance (both plus and
minus) for the net quantity of contents statement
depends on the declared weight or volume. For a package
with a declared net weight of 100g, the allowable
variance is +/- 7.2g for U.S. and +/- 4.5g for Canada.
Read more. |
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What Matters in Food Labeling
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