FDA Gets Tough on Baby Food Labels

Date: 03.09.2010 | Category: News Feed

by FarmPlate

The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on misleading food labels, specifically on baby foods. Seventeen companies received warning letters from the FDA on March 4th because their labels made unauthorized claims about health and nutrition. Baby food makers including Nestle (producers of Gerber and Gerber Graduates), Beech-Nut, First Juice Inc., and PBM Products were some of the companies warned about their product labeling.

The FDA doesn’t allow health claims to be published on baby foods because there are no federal dietary guidelines established for children under the age of two. Gerber Graduate puffs, for example, violated this standard by claiming to be a “good source of iron, zinc, and Vitamin E.”  Labels on some varieties of Juicy Juice were named as violating FDA standards because “the product labels imply that the products are 100% juice when they are actually juice blends with added flavors.”

Companies that received warning letters from the FDA have 15 days to either dispute the claims or inform the FDA of the steps they will take to correct their packaging labels.

After criticizing the Smart Choices Program as a food labeling system, the FDA announced in October it would develop standardized criteria for front-of-package labeling. The FDA reiterated this promise last Wednesday announcing it will soon propose new guidelines for food package labeling, says the Associated Press.

A full list of companies and the food products that received warning letters from the FDA can be viewed here.

More National News

March 8: Federal regulators will meet in Iowa to discuss the issue of a few agriculture companies controlling the majority of the food market.  Associated Press

March 8: A hearing to legalize  the sale of raw milk in Wisconsin has been set for March 10.  Associated Press

March 6: A total of $11 million will be awarded to 15 people who complained about the odors from a hog farm owned by Smithfield Foods Inc. in Missouri.  The Virginian-Pilot

Regional News

March 4: Vermont-based building supply company Allen Lumber has joined the Keep Local Farms initiative.  Vermont Business Magazine

March 4: Vermont town meetings have voted 14-1 against relicensing leaking nuclear power plant Vermont Yankee.  Vermont Business Magazine

March 3: The Vermont state heath department and attorney general’s office are joining forces to work on lowering state obesity levels. Almost 60 percent of Vermonters are overweight or obese.  Rutland Herald

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