FDA EXTENDS DEADLINE TO IMPLEMENT ITS NEW NUTRITION LABELLING

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to extend the deadline date given to food companies to implement its new nutrition and serving size labels.  Originally set at July 26, 2018, the FDA has proposed a new date of January 1, 2020 for companies with US$10 million or more in annual sales, while manufacturers with less US$10 million in sales would get a further year until January 1, 2021.  The agency said the delay proposal came in response to concerns from food producers and trade associations that they would not have enough time to update all their products with the new required information, which included the amount of added sugars and more prominent type size for calories.

The new labels would still need to show ‘total fat’, ‘saturated fat’ and ‘trans fat’ content, while ‘calories from fat’ was being removed because research showed the type of fat was more important than the amount, the FDA said.  Reactions to the deadline extension have been mixed.  The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), among other industry players, welcomed the decision.  On the other hand, the Center for Science in Public Interest (CSPI) said in a statement that the FDA had “caved in to food industry demands” and that the decision would harm public health.