A little help from our Agency friends

FDA published 2 more guidance documents to help companies update their Nutrition Facts (and Supplement Facts) labels. The Agency provided more details about “added sugars” from fruit & vegetable materials as well as clarity in what is a “single serving” container with and without dual column displays.

Additionally, FDA confirmed the date companies are working toward is the date the label is applied to the product.  The labels compliant to the May 2016 regulatory updates must be applied to retail packaged foods on January 1, 2020 (or 2021 if under $10million in sales). That means there will be many years for the marketplace to be a mix of the “old” and “new” Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels.

[…and, yes, the FDA has moved away from calling these “NFP” and “SFP”. These are no longer “panels” but “labels”.]

Guidance for Industry: Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels Questions and Answers Related to the Compliance Date, Added Sugars, and Declaration of Quantitative Amounts of Vitamins and Minerals

Draft Guidance for Industry: Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed At One Eating Occasion, Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed, Serving Size-Related Issues, Dual-Column Labeling, and Miscellaneous Topics