March 2022

Dear Christina,

Welcome to March's Label Alert! In this month's headlines, a new FDA commissioner was confirmed, sesame is hard to find on labels, USDA announces stricter school nutrition standards, courts make some consequential rulings, and more ...

This month, we're pleased to offer Label Alert subscribers $400 off for attending four full days of PLC's 50th Anniversary Food Label Conference! Join us April 24-27 in Washington D.C. for this very special event.

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

California Judge Rules Prop 12 Pork Sales Provisions Cannot Be Enforced Without Regulations

California’s Superior Court for Sacramento County has halted enforcement of Proposition 12 because the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) hasn’t yet released final regulations for the law that voters approved in 2018.

Read on...

Study: Sesame Hidden on Food Labels

Sesame will have to be declared as an allergen on food packaging starting next year, but it is severely under-identified on food labeling right now, according to a new study.

Read on ...

Newly Confirmed FDA Chief Robert Califf Now Must Tackle a Series of Controversial Issues

The Senate narrowly confirmed Dr. Robert Califf to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday afternoon, capping a fraught nomination process for President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the agency, which has been without a permanent head for more than a year.

Read on...

USDA Announces Stricter Standards for School Nutrition

The Department of Agriculture announced Friday it is making changes to its school nutrition standards for the 2022-2023 school year, seeking to reinstate health goals that were rolled back during the Trump administration. The Biden administration will make schools and child-care providers offer low-fat or nonfat unflavored milks, and limit the fat in sweet flavored milks, among other things. 

USDA Press Release Read on...

Court Upholds Industry-Standard Method for Calculating Front-of-Pack Protein Content Claims

Many food companies now make quantitative protein content claims on the front of pack or elsewhere on their product labels outside the Nutrition Facts Label (NFL). Last week, Judge Chhabria (also of the Northern District of California) squarely answered whether it can be false or misleading for a manufacturer to make protein content claims outside the NFL based on the nitrogen method: “The answer is no.” 

Read on....

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Will Likely Ratchet American Food Prices Even Higher, Experts ay

Wheat and seed oil exports could be dramatically impacted, and it could take years before a return to normalcy because of disrupted planting schedules.

Read on....