Changes to Nutrition Facts & RACCs

We published summaries of final rules to revise nutrition and supplement facts labeling requirements and serving sizes.

• As promised, we prepared summaries of FDA’s recently-issued final rules to implement changes to the nutrition and dietary supplement labeling and serving size regulations.

• The final rule revising the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels:  (1) updates the list of nutrients that are required or permitted to be declared; (2) provides updated Daily Reference Values and Reference Daily Intakes; (3) amends requirements for foods represented or purported to be specifically for children under the age of 4 years, pregnant women, and lactating women and establishes nutrient reference values specifically for these population subgroups; and (4) revises the format and appearance of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels.  In addition, the rule now provides a new definition for “dietary fiber”. 

• The final rule revising serving sizes:  (1) changes Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACCs) for certain foods; (2) creates new reference amount categories and reference amounts; (3) amends the definition of a single-serving container; and (4) requires dual column nutrition labeling for certain food containers. 

• The final rules are effective July 26, 2016.  Companies generally have 2 years from the effective date to comply with the final rule, i.e., July 26, 2018, except that manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales have 3 years from the effective date to comply, i.e., July 26, 2019.

Please join us on June 21 (1 pm Eastern) for a complimentary webinar that will review the changes set forth by these new regulations and the impact these changes will have on your products.