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Food News for June 2021
Dear ,
I hope your summer is starting out well. In this month’s newsletter, you will find information about labeling, news about produce food safety and other regulatory news. Let’s tuck in!
Labeling Information
Labelsunwrapped is a new website created by the University of Vermont Law School. The goal of the site is to be a resource for the public to understand what food labels are and the facts behind all the claims, stamps and certifications you find on labels. I think it is an excellent resource for all of us, food business owners as well as consumers. In fact I wish it had been around when I was teaching about food labels.
The site gives basic information about labels on its Labels 101 page discussing everything from what is a label, what should be on a label and who regulates food labels.
What is really helpful for small food businesses is the section on Exploring Labels. As well as a general overview, there is information on the labeling regulations for each food group, proteins, grains, produce, fats and oils, dairy, sweets, and supplements. For example, in the supplement section, the website explains that dietary supplements must have a Supplement Label rather than a food label and gives some basic information about how dietary supplements are different from food.
The produce section explains that produce, fruit and vegetables, are mostly defined as raw agricultural commodities and how this changes the requirements for labeling as only processed food must have a food label. Even so, if the produce is packaged, there are some items that must be present including statement of identity and net weight in US customary units and in metric units.
It is a really helpful website. I hope you find it helpful too.
Regulatory News
There has been reports and guidelines released by the FDA over the last two months. Of particular interest are the reports and recommendations from last year’s outbreaks from Romaine lettuce, onions and peaches. All three outbreak reports indicate that the pathogens may have come from nearby animal operations. I wrote a quick summary on Food Crumb - my daily newsletter. If you are a produce grower, the recommendation is to undertake a risk assessment of adjacent land use. Please schedule a call if you want to discuss what that looks like.
The FDA also released information about using “healthy” on a food package and is looking for feedback for the use of a symbol for the front of package in indicate “healthy” and is looking for public comments. There is a lot here to unpack - check my blog next week for more information.
Food Safety Mid Atlantic News
At the end of May, I took USDA Harmonized GAP Auditor Training. I hope to do audits and assist produce growers with preparing for audits - if you need any help with preparing documentation or sorting out what you need to do to comply with Harmonized GAP, please schedule a call today.
I hope everything is going well for you and you have a great summer.
All the best
Cathy
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