December 2023



Dear Christina,

Welcome to December's Label Alert! In this month's headlines: FDA faces pressure as lead-tainted applesauce sickens more children, front of pack labeling may lead consumers to choose products with non-nutritive sweeteners, FTC warns social influencers they must disclose when paid by industry, and more ...

And this month, get Early Bird savings on registration for next year's Food Label Conference!

Now, get caught up on the latest industry news from Label Alert.

Pressure Grows on FDA as Lead-Tainted Applesauce Sickens More Kids

As of Nov. 22, there have been 52 reported cases in 25 states where children ages 1 to 4 had elevated blood lead levels potentially linked to the apple cinnamon purées, according to the FDA. In a statement to NBC News, an FDA spokesperson said the agency should be able to finalize the guidelines by early 2025.

Read on...

Limiting Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeling to Added Sugar, Saturated Fat & Sodium could Skew Potential Health Impact, Stakeholders Tell FDA

Front of package nutrition labeling intended to help consumers select healthier foods and beverages by potentially calling out the amount of added sugar and other nutrients of interest could unintentionally expose children to higher levels of non-nutritive sweeteners, a public health advocate warned earlier this month at a public meeting hosted by The Reagan-Udall Foundation for FDA.

Read on ...

FTC Warns Two Trade Associations and a Dozen Influencers About Social Media Posts Promoting Consumption of Aspartame or Sugar

Federal Trade Commission staff have sent warning letters to two trade associations and 12 registered dieticians and other online health influencers warning them about the lack of adequate disclosures in their Instagram and TikTok posts promoting the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame or the consumption of sugar-containing products. The letters say influencers failed to adequately disclose that they were paid by industry.

Read on ...

Small Entity Compliance Guide: Milk and Cream Products and Yogurt Products; Final Rule to Revoke the Standards for Lowfat Yogurt and Nonfat Yogurt and To Amend the Standard for Yogurt

The FDA is issuing this Small Entity Compliance guide to help explain the actions that a small entity must take to comply with 21 CFR parts 130 and 131, “Milk and Cream Products and Yogurt Products; Final Rule To Revoke the Standards for Lowfat Yogurt and Nonfat Yogurt and To Amend the Standard for Yogurt” after recent changes made in 2021 and 2022.  

Read on ...

Cultivated Meat Labeling Puzzle could Bring Legal Headaches

Though regulators came to a consensus on what to call the namesake product in 2022, continuing debates over package labeling rules could still create headwinds for players in the space.

Read on...

Pet Food Labels-Are Regulators Looking for an "Easy" Button?

The Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) Official Publication (OP) includes model regulations for marketing claims on pet food labels. But recently, it appears regulators are looking for the “easy” button to reduce their workload by creating additional AAFCO guidelines for pet food label claims, rather than following existing regulations. 

Read on ...