Originally published January 4 2006
FDA kowtows to food companies by extending the deadline for new food labels
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The FDA announced it will consider granting extensions that would allow food companies to exhaust their existing supply of labels before complying with a new law that requires all food labels to include information about trans fat content.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will allow the exemptions so companies can use up their existing stocks of labels without having to immediately switch to new ones to remain compliant under the trans fats law.
Trans fat is formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine, a process that increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods.
The FDA will grant extensions of up to 12 months beginning from the date that the agency issues an exemption to the firm.
The guidance describes when and how businesses may request the agency to consider enforcement discretion for the use, on products introduced into interstate commerce on or after the January 1, 2006 effective date.
The guidance was issued after the regulator received a request for a delay in the trans fat labeling requirements from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA).
In a brief to the FDA they argue that costs for about 30 small firms were significantly greater than what FDA provided in cost estimates for small businesses in its economic analysis for the trans fat final rule.
In addition, the associations claimed that the businesses had to create an unofficial database on the predicted value of trans fat content in milk since they have not been able to obtain all the required information on trans fat content from ingredient suppliers.
For example, products that qualify for and use a simplified labelling format and are not required to use the additional footnote statement under the legislation will not have to list the amount or presence of trans fat on the food label.
For example, if a company claiming the exemption employs fewer than 100 full-time employees and produces less than 100,000 units of a product sold in the US, they would be eligible for a labeling exemption for any 12-month period.
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