January 2024



Dear Christina,

Happy New Year and welcome to January's Label Alert! In this month's headlines: trends to watch in 2024, FDA issues supplemental menu labeling guidance for industry, a lawyer notorious for filing food labeling lawsuits is slapped with a contempt order, and more ...

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

2024 Trends to Watch: From Functional Foods and Clean Label to Value-Hunting and Increased Use of AI to Drive Promotions and Efficiencies

The New Year will bring a renewed focus on clean-label and better-for-you products, including a desire or the “best of both worlds” as consumers gravitate towards indulgent products making functional health claims, as well as products that are better for the planet, according to industry insiders.

Read on...

Draft Guidance for Industry: Menu Labeling Supplemental Guidance (Edition 2)

FDA released this draft Edition 2 to propose updates to the existing Menu Labeling Supplemental Guidance. To respond to frequently asked questions regarding menu labeling requirements, the draft guidance, once finalized, will update the existing guidance and addresses the voluntary declaration of added sugars and the voluntary declaration of nutrition information for menus on third-party platforms.

Read on ...

Lawyer in Hundreds of Food Labeling Lawsuits Hit with Contempt Order

A New York federal judge found that an attorney who has filed hundreds of class actions accusing companies of misleading labeling on foods and other products in civil contempt of court, saying he filed a lawsuit against Starbucks in bad faith.

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Au Revoir, Cultivated Meat?: France Follows in Italy’s Footsteps with Proposed Ban By Parliamentarians

Shortly after Italy announced a ban on the production and sale of cultivated meat, France’s Les Républicains party announced its own proposal to cultured meat in the country, with a group of policymakers arguing it goes against French tradition and hurts livestock farming. 

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Biden-Harris Administration Releases Draft National Strategy to Reduce Food Loss and Waste

EPA, USDA, and FDA released the “Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics” as part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to tackle climate change and promote a circular economy. The draft strategy outlines specific EPA, USDA, and FDA actions to prevent the loss and waste of food and other organic wastes, reducing associated environmental impacts such as methane pollution.

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USDA Finalizes Updates to List of Bioengineered Foods

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a final rule updating the List of Bioengineered Foods under the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard.

Read on ...