The majority of questions from the public and industry involve
labeling.
- What has to be labeled?
- How does it have to be labeled?
- Do I have to nutrition label?
- What are the requirements for allergen and trans-fat labeling?
All Packaged Food Labels
Must Include
- Common usual name of product
- Name and Address of Manufacturer
- List of ingredients in descending order of predominance by net
weight
- Ingredient statements must be at 1/16 of an inch or larger
- Ingredients must include components of the ingredients. {ie.: Enriched Bleached Flour [wheat flour,
malted barley flour, wheat starch, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamine
hydrochloride (vitamin B3), folic acid]}
- The eight major food allergens {milk, eggs, type of fish (e.g.,
bass, flounder, cod, etc.), crustacean (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.),
tree nut (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.), peanuts, wheat, soybeans} must
be declared using the common or usual name of the allergen
- All certified colors must be identified in the ingredient
statement. {ie: FD&C yellow 5}
- Preservatives must be followed with statement of use. {i.e.: Calcium
Proprionate (preservative)}
- Net quantity of contents including metric measurements. Net
quantity of contents must be separated from other text on the label and must be
located in the bottom third of the label.
- For beverages containing juice or that imply juice content, the
percentage of juice must be declared on the information panel.
Complete information on food labeling can be found in the FDA Food Labeling
Guide
Regulations and
Exemptions
The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, also known as
NLEA, brought about the requirement for nutrition labeling to be carried on
most foods. It also allowed for nutrient content claims (example: Low Fat) and
FDA approved health claims. Nutrition labeling is required for all foods with a
nutrient content claim or health claim. All food products marketed after May
1994 must bear nutritional labeling unless the food qualifies for an exemption.
Labeling regulations and
exemptions can be found in 21 CFR 101.100.
For more information on
Nutrition Labeling:
Final Rule passed May 20,
2016 for Nutrition Facts labels for package foods can be found on the FDA
website under Changes to the
Nutrition Facts Label. You may also visit
the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Web
site.
Labeling agreements can
be made if the product needs to be further processed, labeled or repacked in
order for a label agreement to qualify; i.e. the product can’t be sent to a
customer who serves it “as is” such as tortilla chips. Bread made into
sandwiches would qualify for example. Please see 21 CFR 100.100 (d) through (e) for the regulations
describing labeling agreements.
Requirements for Food
Labeling