FDA labeling guidelines help consumers choose healthy foods.
The Food and Drug Administration outlines, monitors and enforces strict guidelines that apply to the proper consumer information labeling of food and cosmetics. In the case of food, the regulations govern the size and readability of the labels, nutritional content, caloric content and any claims made by the food producer regarding a product being low fat, low sugar or organic.
Readability
The FDA provides guidelines on labeling on both the back and front of food packaging. Regardless of the size or shape of the product, the label must cover at least 40 percent of the surface area. The label must be clearly readable, and no decoration, logo or other display can obscure it. The front may state the product is low in fat or high in a particular vitamin or mineral, but the FDA requires that the claim be substantiated on the back label, and that the product meets the requirements of the claim.
Nutritional Guidelines
Food manufacturers may have specific nutritional guidelines their product must meet and must state clearly on the label in consumer friendly language. Foods that do not meet minimum nutritional requirements cannot make claims that they do. Any added nutritional ingredients must be labeled, and imitation foods cannot be labeled as a substitute for the original food if they do not meet the nutritional guidelines for that food. Also, the FDA requires that a label clearly states any nutrient reduction, removal or replacement in a food normally containing the nutrient.
Other Labeling
Other labeling guidelines administered by the FDA include such claims as products being fresh, frozen, low-fat, low-calorie or fulfilling special dietary concerns, such as being gluten-free or peanut-free. Each of these classes has specific guidelines that must be reflected in the label description. For instance, if a food contains trans-fats, the trans-fat content must be listed as separate from the total fat content. The label must also identify the food, list the manufacturer and the production facility address, and must provide the weight or amount of food inside. The label must state the serving size from which the caloric and nutritional detail amounts are calculated.
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