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U.S. FDA's Nutrition Facts Chart Celebrates its 20th Anniversary- By Registrar Corp
[January 21, 2013]

U.S. FDA's Nutrition Facts Chart Celebrates its 20th Anniversary- By Registrar Corp


Hampton, Virginia, Jan 21, 2013 (PRWeb.com via COMTEX) -- This month, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the codification of the final rules that overhauled the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) nutrition labeling requirements for food in the United States. Passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) gave FDA authority to require specific nutritional information be declared on most food sold in the United States. FDA's ubiquitous Nutrition Facts Chart was born and all manifestations of it written into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). NLEA also led to the codification of the FDA requirements for making nutrient content and health claims on food. According to Russell K. Statman, Executive Director of Registrar Corp, a FDA regulatory compliance company, "These rules forever changed the way food would be labeled and marketed in the United States." FDA labeling rules are complex. An entire part of the CFR (Part 101) is dedicated to the required labeling elements, including the statement of identity, net quantity statement, ingredient declarations, format of the nutrition chart and the information found therein, manufacturer/distributor/packer declaration, and requirements for claims. The nutrition facts chart itself is regulated in a tangled web of requirements that stipulate when simplified, tabular, linear, side-by-side formats can be used. Additional regulations govern when footnotes may be excluded, when certain nutrient values may be omitted, where the chart may be placed, and when the chart may be omitted altogether! Additional requirements may be found in Compliance Policy Guides and Guidance Documents. Some claims used on food labeling lack legal definitions, or are subject to "proposed rules" that have been languishing in regulatory limbo for years (e.g., "gluten-free," "non-GMO," refrigeration statements). Navigating this regulatory landscape can present a challenge for food companies.



Food products whose labels do not comply with FDA regulations may be deemed misbranded and risk detention and outright refusal by the agency. FDA recently announced, "Labeling problems accounted for 68 percent of food recalls, including 34 percent of recalls due to undeclared major food allergens." FDA Detentions are expensive and disrupt a company's supply chain, often resulting in a loss of customers and financial revenue. Class action lawsuits against food companies for misleading nutrition claims are also on the rise. Even large companies such as Heinz, PepsiCo, and ConAgra have not been immune.

Companies may avoid an expensive lawsuit or costly detentions by ensuring their product labels comply with FDA regulations. Registrar Corp assists clients in navigating the tangled web of FDA regulatory compliance. Registrar Corp's label review service provides detailed analysis of product labeling to ensure that each label incorporates the numerous regulations that govern the format and content of food labels.


About Registrar Corp: Registrar Corp is a FDA Compliance Agency that helps companies with U.S. FDA Regulations. Founded in 2003, Registrar Corp has assisted more than 20,000 companies to comply with FDA requirements. With 19 global offices, Registrar Corp's team of multilingual Regulatory Specialists can help your company to comply with U.S. FDA Regulations. For immediate assistance with U.S. FDA Regulations, phone Registrar Corp: +1-757-224-0177 or receive online Live Help from our regulatory specialists: http://www.registrarcorp.com/livehelp Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10340445.htm PRWeb.com

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