Major Changes Set for Food lebeling

Major Changes Set for Food Labels
The Wall Street Journal Online
By Jane Zhang

Starting Jan. 1, Companies Must Add Listings
For Trans Fats, Allergens; Revisiting Serving Sizes

The food label is getting supersized.

With the arrival of the new year, a host of additions and changes are
in store for food labels. The presence of eight major allergens and the
amount of trans fat in a product will have to be disclosed on labels as
of Jan. 1. But that's just the start.

Among the other changes on the horizon, the Food and Drug
Administration, which oversees most food labels, is considering giving
calories more prominence on the food label -- by increasing the type
size of the calorie listing, for example -- and requiring that
nutrition information be spelled out for an entire package, not just
for "servings." Already, Kraft Foods Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. are
labeling nutrient information in dual columns on some packages-one side
for the serving and the other for the whole bottle or box. A 20-ounce
lime-flavored Coke now says that it has 26 grams of sugar based on the
"standard serving," but 65 grams in the whole bottle. Also in 2006, the
FDA will likely update dietary intake references for nutrients like
vitamins to reflect new scientific reports from the National Academy of
Sciences.

"It's going to be a very busy year," says Alison J. Kretser, senior
director of scientific and nutrition policy at the Grocery
Manufacturers Association.

The flurry of label activity reflects several factors, from regulatory
changes such as the implementation of a 2004 allergen law to food
companies' own efforts to court health-conscious consumers. Consumer
activists have met with some success in their quest for more
informative labels. Meanwhile, certain health issues have gained more
attention, such as food allergies and obesity.

In response, food companies are investing billions of dollars to
reformulate products and update their labels. And some are going
further, in search of niche markets. Makers of cereals and breads are
pushing new lines of "whole grain" products tied to whole grains'
increased importance in the government's latest dietary guidelines.

But the transition to more informative labels is likely to bring some
confusion, too. The FDA is allowing companies to continue to use labels
that were made before 2006 -- without allergen declarations. And it has
promised to extend deadlines for some companies having difficulty
complying with the trans-fat rule.

i have found using the food lables can be a minefield of misleading
information...the information is per serving and if the serving is
small enough it can be labled as 0

nkd_one wrote in message
ups.com...
i have found using the food lables can be a minefield of misleading
information...the information is per serving and if the serving is
small enough it can be labled as 0

Agree. Ever check for sauerkraut - serving is 1/4 cup. And Grape Nuts -
1/4 cup is a serving.

Jan

Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying

"Carol Frilegh" wrote in message
...
Major Changes Set for Food Labels
The Wall Street Journal Online
By Jane Zhang

Starting Jan. 1, Companies Must Add Listings
For Trans Fats, Allergens; Revisiting Serving Sizes

The food label is getting supersized.

With the arrival of the new year, a host of additions and changes are
in store for food labels. The presence of eight major allergens and the
amount of trans fat in a product will have to be disclosed on labels as
of Jan. 1. But that's just the start.

Among the other changes on the horizon, the Food and Drug
Administration, which oversees most food labels, is considering giving
calories more prominence on the food label -- by increasing the type
size of the calorie listing, for example -- and requiring that
nutrition information be spelled out for an entire package, not just
for "servings."


Hmmm. Does that mean that you will have to have 3 columns? Per serving,
per pack, and per 100g or whatever standard measure is used in the US? I
know nothing legally of these things but I'm pretty sure the 100g/ml is
legally required in the EU for most products. Wouldn't it make it more
annoying for companies to have to produce different labels - some with two
columns and some with three for export?


--
Rachael
176/114/119

Carol Frilegh quoted:

Major Changes Set for Food Labels
The Wall Street Journal Online
By Jane Zhang

Starting Jan. 1, Companies Must Add Listings
For Trans Fats, Allergens; Revisiting Serving Sizes

The food label is getting supersized.

With the arrival of the new year, a host of additions and changes are
in store for food labels. The presence of eight major allergens and the
amount of trans fat in a product will have to be disclosed on labels as
of Jan. 1. But that's just the start.

I wonder what the 8 allergens are? So far I've seen labels about
peanuts and tree nuts. If the list includes grains at least it will be
easier to explain to people that eating grass isn't automatically
a good thing. See, look here on this label. Tons of people are
intollerant of these types of food. See wheat listed? Could you
explain to me again why eating wheat is automatically a good
thing given how many people are allergic to it?

Companies are already putting out "0 trans fats" on there labels.

"Doug Freyburger" wrote in message
ups.com...
Carol Frilegh quoted:

Major Changes Set for Food Labels
The Wall Street Journal Online
By Jane Zhang

Starting Jan. 1, Companies Must Add Listings
For Trans Fats, Allergens; Revisiting Serving Sizes

The food label is getting supersized.

With the arrival of the new year, a host of additions and changes are
in store for food labels. The presence of eight major allergens and the
amount of trans fat in a product will have to be disclosed on labels as
of Jan. 1. But that's just the start.

I wonder what the 8 allergens are? So far I've seen labels about
peanuts and tree nuts. If the list includes grains at least it will be
easier to explain to people that eating grass isn't automatically
a good thing. See, look here on this label. Tons of people are
intollerant of these types of food. See wheat listed? Could you
explain to me again why eating wheat is automatically a good
thing given how many people are allergic to it?

Companies are already putting out "0 trans fats" on there labels.

The allergens are eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and
soybeans.
--
the volleyballchick