Consumer protection group urges expedited compliance with new nutrition labeling requirements.

  • As previously covered on this blog, FDA recently issued its long-awaited final rules to revise the nutrition and dietary supplement labeling and serving size requirements.  Although the rules take effect on July 26, 2016, companies generally have 2 years from the effective date to comply with the final rule, i.e., July 26, 2018.
  • The consumer protection group, Environmental Working Group (EWG), already has sent targeted letters to major cereal manufacturers to request that they take action to update the nutrition information for their products as soon as possible, and well in advance of the 2018 compliance date.  The letters cite concerns about sugar consumption from breakfast cereals, particularly among children.  In each letter, EWG lists company products that will be affected by the new requirements and provides new serving sizes and sugar content statements for each.  EWG specifically asks each company to update the Nutrition Facts panels available on their websites as soon as possible, and to “expedite” changes to product packaging as well.
  • EWG’s action illustrates the type of external pressure that the food industry may face over the next two years.  Although it will take substantial time and resources for various companies to recalculate and relabel their products, extra-regulatory forces such as consumer protection groups may push entities to work as quickly as possible to provide consumers with the “new facts.”

Please join us on June 21 (1 pm Eastern) for a complimentary webinar that will review the changes set forth by these new regulations and the impact these changes will have on your products. To register to attend the webinar, click here.