Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Food Labeling Guide Chapter 1 - General Food Labeling

The Food and Drug Administration, as it responds to Congress and writes regulations for food labels, has to balance two separate interests: inform consumers while not forcing food manufacturers to sacrifice their trade secrets.

The more inclusive a label, the better position a consumer is in to make choices. But the FDA also recognizes while ingredients are necessary to disclose, their proportions are not. The regulations represent a middle ground, a balance between these two interests. The philosophy behind food labeling-laws, as the FDA’s literature itself states, is to regulate without over-regulating.

That's the theory, anyway. In practice, it's not always quite that clear or simple. I used a several hundred page long reference book when I was checking labels, so I speak from experience.

This week, we look at Part 1 of 5 (!) of a Food Labeling Guide.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." - Albert Einstein (German-born theoretical physicist, 1879 – 1955)

(scroll over or click on iPaper below to have a drop-down menu that includes a print option)

Food Labeling Guide Chapter 1 - General Food Labeling Requir


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