As our readership is aware, FDA periodically announces uniform compliance dates for new food labeling requirements to minimize the economic impact on the food industry of having to respond separately to each change.  When necessary, however, FDA also sets specific compliance dates outside the uniform compliance date.  When FDA sets a compliance date outside the uniform compliance date, it is typically to provide industry with more time than would have otherwise been permitted under a uniform compliance date.

Today, FDA released a prepublication copy of a January 6, 2021 Federal Register notice that will set January 1, 2024 as the uniform compliance date for final food labeling regulations that require changes in the labeling of food products and that publish on or after January 1, 2021 and on or before December 31, 2022.  As in the past, FDA has noted that special circumstances may justify a different compliance date in some cases.  The uniform compliance date, January 1, 2024, or a different specified date, if applicable, will always be identified in any final food labeling regulation.

All food products subject to the January 1, 2024 compliance date must comply with the appropriate regulations when initially introduced into interstate commerce on or after January 1, 2024.