Regulatory

The FDA recently provided more context about how brands using natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup should handle the labeling of their sugar content on the new Nutrition Facts label. But the question is, does this guidance provide enough clarity to sweeten industry leaders on this added sugar callout?

To make sense of the FDA’s recent flood of guidances and announcements, we spoke with a few industry experts to help us break down the regulatory and political jargon and explain what it could potentially mean for business leaders.

The USDA report examines how millennials spend their time and money in regards to food, how their eating habits differ from other generations and how their shopping behaviors are expected to continue to shape the food industry landscape in the future.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that it will not actively enforce certain areas of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). One provision in particular has the potential to impact CPG supply chains.

The nonprofit trade organization has submitted a proposal to create an updated definition and a set of “harmonized” international guidelines for the use of probiotics in foods and dietary supplements.

Friday’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would decouple animal welfare standards from federal regulations around organic certification has caused outcry and debate among natural and organic food industry leaders. Now, the Organic Trade Association and its allies believe the rule’s withdrawal will impact food sourcing, pricing and certification, both for packaged and fresh food alike.

Last week, the FDA issued a guidance to food manufacturers on the best practices for using third-party certification. The goal is to avoid claims of bias or accusations of a conflict of interest against the hired experts.

Under the new Nutrition Facts regulations, the types of ingredients that would count towards dietary fiber levels was severely reduced. Earlier this year the FDA announced it would review 26 additional isolated and synthetic ingredients to be recognized as acceptable, however, after almost a year with no guidance or updates on the review, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is asking for answers.

The Consumer Goods Forum announced last month that it’s looking to trash current expiration date labels to help reduce food waste not only within the U.S. but around the world.

Under the Obama administration, brands had until July 26, 2018, to adjust all packaging. With the new extension, manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales will now have until Jan. 1, 2020; manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales have until Jan. 1, 2021.