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NLEA food labeling rules published he final regulations implement. Ing the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) were
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Federal Register
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Jan. 6, 1993. The regulations, announced Dec. 2. 1992, establish new rules for labeling virtually all foods in the United States. Printed copies of the regulations can be ordered from the Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Washington. DC 20401. telephone 202-783-3238. The Government Printing Office order number is
069-00[-00045-9. The regulations also will be available on computer diskettes for $88.50, available by calling 202-512-1530 (Order number 06900 1-00046-7). The purpose of the food label reform is 10 help consumers choose more healthful diets and to offer food companies an incentive to improve the nutritional qualities of their products. Although new labels may soon begin appearing on products, manufacturers have until May 1994 to comply with most of the new labeling requirements. Regulations pertaining to health oIaims and some pans of the ingredient labeling rule become effective in May 1993. In the same issue of the Federal Register, FDA also published a proposal to amend food labeling regulations to define the term "healthy" as a claim on labels. FDA will take comments through March 8, 1993, on this proposal. For further information, contact Elizabeth J. Campbell. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-155), FDA. 200 C S1. SW. Washington. DC 20204. telephone 202-205-5229. On Jan. 6, 1993, the U.s. Depanment of Agriculture (USDA) published in the Federal Register its final regulations requiring nutrition labels on processed meat and poultry products by July 1994. The regulations, which designate the format and content of labels on meal and poultry processed products. closely parallel those adopted by FDA. Copies of USDA's regulations arc
available from the Policy Office, Room 3171-S, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, DC 20250·3700. Meanwhile. Iowa State University has announced it will hold a nationwide satellite video conference on April 22. 1993. on "Nutrition Labeling: New Guidelines, New Directions." Panelists will be from FDA, the National Food Processors Association, and university food science and nutrition departments. Topics will be the history of labeling regulations and the impact of the latest regulations. as well as what consumers want and how best to inform them. For information on the program, call Carol Hans at 515-294-6616. For information on down linking the program. call 515294-5033 or 5150-294-5961.
FDA proposes change in ice cream standard The u.s. Food and Drug Administralion (FDA) has proposed dropping its standard for ice milk and modifying the standard of identity for ice cream and frozen custard to permit the use of optional dairy ingredients and alternative sweeteners including aspartame and saccharin. Under the plan. FDA would allow the use of such terms as reduced-fat ice cream. low-fat ice cream and nonfat ice cream. The revised standards. if adopted, will go in effect one year after they are published as a final rule in the Federal Register. The proposal was in response to petitions from the International Ice Cream Association. Public Voice for Food and Health Policy. The Calorie Control Council and Kraft General Foods. FDA said the proposal would be in accord with the final rules implementing Nutritional Labeling and Education Act of 1990. The proposal for the changes was published in the Jan. 6. 1993, issue of the Federal Register. the same issue that carried the food labeling final rules.
FDA said that the action. if adopted, will allow manufacturers increased flexibility to use names more acceptable to the public for products with reduced fat and calorie levels. Comments may be submitted by March 8, 1993. For more information. contact Margaret E. Cole. FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, by calling 202-205-4745.
Hershey Foods requests white chocolate standard Hershey Foods has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a standard of identity for white chocolate. The company in 1989 had made a request for such a standard in comments to FDA on proposed amendments to the standard of identity for cacao products. The latest request would allow a wide variety of optional dairy ingredients. emulsifiers, flavorings and anuoxldams. making the standard consistent with revised cacao standards that FDA is in the process of accepting. Hershey noted that without a standard of identity, "it is difficult for consumers to distinguish between white chocolate thai contains real cacao ingredients and other coating type products that are produced using cheaper ingredients made from other fats and which may contain little or no cacao ingredients." Hershey said consumer research shows that white chocolate is the name commonly used by consumers to identify a product formulated under the proposed stan-
darn. The proposed standard would require white chocolate to contain a minimum of 20% cocoa butter. 14% total milk solids, 3.5% milk fat and a maximum of 55% nutritive carbohydrate sweetener. Details: Food Chemical Ne ..... s, Jan. 4. 1993. pp. 10-11.
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Callanish seeks release of seized primrose oil Callanish Lid. of Scotland in January sought to overturn U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) action detaining 97,300 capsules of Callanish's Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) at port of entry in Boston as an unauthorized food additive. FDA detained the product on Aug. J 8, 1992. and issued a Notice of Refusal of Admission Dec. 18. 1992. allowing 90 days 10 reexport the product before U.S. authorities destroy the shipment. In its lawsuit, Callan ish sought a judgment declaring it the owner of the detained EPQ and thai the refusal to permit entry was illegal. FDA had recognized Health Products International Corp. of Springville. Utah, the importing agent. as owner of the shipment.
Callan ish cited a 1992 ruling by Chief Judge Joseph L. Tauro of the U.S. District Court in Boston that blackcurrant oil shipped in gelatin capsules and seized by FDA as an unauthorized food additive was not a food additive. Seeking a similar ruling for its EPO, Callanish noted, "Since the pure EPO at issue was not intended to be used as a component or otherwise affect the characteristics of any food, it is not a 'food additive' ... but a food." Details: Food Chemical News, Jan. 4, 1993.
misrepresentation and public misunderstanding of the scope and rigor of FDA review of new food products," according to Roger Salquist, Calgere's chief executive officer. The FDA policy and the imminent marketing of Calgene's Flavr Savr tomato had prompted a petition concerning bioengineered foods signed by 1,500 professional cooks and a threatened boycott against bioengineered food by Jeremy Rifkin's Pure Food Campaign. Cal gene in November 1990 had requested FDA to issue an advisory opinion regarding the use of the marker gene ka"r as a processing aid in the production of genetically engineered plants, FDA now is reviewing safety data on the gene both with respect 10 food additive requirements and its May 19, 1992, policy statement on bioengineered foods. In October 1992, the U,S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had announced it would no longer regulate Calgene's Flavr Savr tomato, thus allowing its production and shipment anywhere in the United States without funher USDA permits and approvals. That tomato as well as other genetically engineered food products under development by Catgene and other companies contain the marker gene. Calgene officials said the decision to pursue a food additive petition for
the selectable marker does not change company plans to scale-up field production and enter the market with the Flavr Savr tomato in 1993.
FAS announces grants for export promotion The u.s. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has announced grants totaling $147,7 million under the federal expert promotion program, including $10.75 million to oilseed and fats and oilsrelated organizations. during the current fiscal year ending September 30. The American Soybean Association has been allocated $3.3 million for soybean. soybean oil, meal and products promotion, while the National Peanut Council has been allocated $2.68 million for peanut and peanut product promotion. Other allocations include: $1.62 million to the National Sunflower Association for sunftowerseed. oil and confection promotion: $ I80.000 to the National Renderers Assocteuon for tallow promotion; $400,000 to the North America Export Grain Association for grain and oilseed promotion; and $2.57 million to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association for chocolate and sugar confectionery promotion. •
HEALTH Be HUMAN NUTRITION
Dietary fat may alter antibody protein FDA asked to approve bioengineering marker Calgcne Inc. has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formally to give food additive status to the marker gene ka"r implanted in tomatoes that are bioengineered to resist spoilage. The company filed the request in January despite a May 1992 policy statement by FDA that genetically engineered foods do not require special approval or labeling. "We have elected to ask FDA to formally apply the comprehensive standards of food additive review to our ka"r submission because of continued
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osikazu Sirai of Juntendc University, Japan, has conducted an experiment showing dietary fat can alter antibody protein in autoimmune-diseased rats, according to a report from the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. Although it has been understood that dietary far can adversely affect autoimmune response, Sirai reponed he found rhe mechanism both at the cell and gene level. In his experiment, he selected erythema-diseased rats which suffered from one of the autoimmune diseases. These rats produced a large quantity of antibody to nucleus protein and T-
cell of immune cells. He fed excess fat to the rats and studied the antibody protein produced to DNA. Control rats produced normal IgM antibody protein. The diseased rats, however, produced IgG antibody protein which strongly bound with DNA.
Fish intake may help Japanese live longer A speaker at a November forum in Tokyo noted that Japanese persons may live longer due to their fish intake. AI a forum highlighting internaINFORM. Vol. 4. no. 3 (March 1993)
