On The Menu’s predictions for 2008:

10. Heart healthy food. An old standby, heart healthy stays in the ranks. America’s number one cause of death is still heart disease. We expect to see continued labeling of heart-healthy (low-fat, trans fat free, lower sodium, high-fiber) foods and menu items.

9. Fair trade food. People will give more attention to how food is produced and give ethical consideration to their purchases.

8. Medicinal food. Watch for foods promoting digestive health, brain function, weight management and beauty.

7. 100 calorie snack pack food. We’ll see more convenience food individually packaged based on the caloric content.

6. Gluten- and allergen-free food. In the three years since we began helping restaurants create gluten-free menus, we’ve seen this trend take off. It’s a win-win for food companies and their customers. Note: FDA’s final definition for “gluten-free” will be announced later this year.

5. Healthy kids’ food. Efforts gain momentum to address the obesity epidemic among children. School and restaurant meals will offer healthier choices. Foods marketed to kids will emphasize less sugar and fat, more whole grains and real fruits and vegetables.

4. Local, sustainably grown food. Organic will continue to be big, but emphasis will be on locally grown foods from sustainable farms.

3. Nutrient dense, real, whole food. Foods that are fortified will fall out of favor to foods that have been minimally processed and are naturally nutrient dense. Manufacturers will make efforts to produce foods free of hydrogenated oils, artificial colors and flavors, high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives.

2. Whole grain food. Not to be found just in bread; we expect to see more whole grain pastas, cereals, crackers and cookies join the movement (no pun intended).

1. Marketing of restaurant food. Nutrition information on restaurant foods will be expected by customers who are more mindful of their eating. Legislation continues to grow in this arena. In Colorado check out the Smart Meal Seal. We believe 2008 is just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended).

A study conducted by The Hartman Group, Inc. shows a rise in food label reading by consumers. In their “Pulse Report: Label Reading from a Consumer Perspective” they examined the levels of consumer awareness, familiarity and trust of 13 different food, wellness and sustainablity related symbols and icons used in the marketplace today. The results show:

• 30% of Americans report they read labels much more frequently today than a year ago.
• 31% say they are reading labels slightly more often.
• 36% say they are reading them at about the same rate.
• Only 4% are reading labels less often than a year ago.

Your customers have come to expect labels on food products - an investment well worth making.

At On The Menu one of our specialty services is assisting our clients with FDA regulated nutrition claims. Determining which claims a food product qualifies to use is not as simple as you may think. Some claims, such as “sugar free,” may qualify only if a disclaimer is stated along with the claim. Due to an increase in improper use of the “sugar free” claim, the FDA’s director of the Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements has issued a warning letter addressing the concern. In this letter (below) you will see companies cautioned on the use of the claim and the need for a potential disclaimer. If you’re in question on how to use a claim, never rely on your competitors’ claims for accuracy. For more information on claims visit the FDA website or contact the food labeling experts at On The Menu.  

Attention: 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is concerned about the number of products we have seen that contain claims regarding the absence of sugar, such as, “sugar free” but that fail to bear the required disclaimer statement when these foods are not “low” or “reduced in” calories or fail to bear the required disclaimer statement in the location or with the conspicuousness required by regulation.  As part of our continuing effort to reduce the incidence of obesity in the

Under the authority of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, FDA issued regulations for the nutrient content claim “sugar free” 58 Federal Register (FR) 2302 at 2415.  “Sugar free” is defined in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations 101.60(c) (21 CFR 101.60(c)) as a claim that may be used on a food that contains less than 0.5 g of sugars, as defined in § 101.9(c)(6)(ii), per reference amount customarily consumed and per labeled serving (21 CFR 101.60 (c)).  For a food that meets the definition of a “meal” in 21 CFR 101.13(l) or “main dish” in 21 CFR 101.13(m), the food must contain less than 0.5 g of sugars per labeled serving.  In addition, such foods may not contain any ingredient that is a sugar or that is generally understood by consumers to contain sugars, unless the listing of the ingredient in the ingredient statement is followed by an asterisk that refers to the statement that appears below the list of ingredients, and that provides: “adds a trivial amount of sugar,” “adds a negligible amount of sugar,” or “adds a dietarily insignificant amount of sugar.”  FDA has historically taken the position that consumers may associate claims regarding the absence of sugar with weight control and with foods that are low calorie or that have been altered to reduce calories significantly.  Therefore, the definition for “sugar free” includes the requirement that any food that is not low or reduced in calorie disclose that fact.  Without such information some consumers might think the food was offered for weight control.  See 56 FR 60421 at 60435.  Consequently, the definition for “sugar free” includes the requirement that the food be labeled with the claim “low calorie” or “reduced calorie” or bear a relative claim of special dietary usefulness labeled in compliance with 21 CFR 101.60(b)(2), (b)(3), (b)(4), or (b)(5) or such claim is immediately accompanied, each time it is used, by one of the following disclaimer statements: “not a reduced calorie food,” “not a low calorie food,” or “not for weight control” (see 21 CFR 101.60(c)(1)(iii)).  The disclaimer statement, when required, must accompany the claim each time it is used.  In addition, the disclaimer statement is subject to the requirements of 21 CFR 101.2(c) and must appear prominently and conspicuously but in no case may the letters be less than one-sixteenth inch in height. 

FDA encourages food manufacturers and distributors to review their labels and ensure that any food that bears a claim regarding the absence of sugar meet each of the requirements for that claim including the placement and conspicuousness of the disclaimer statement in 21 CFR 101.60(c)(1)(iii) when required.  FDA will take appropriate action, consistent with our priorities and resources, when we find problems with the use of nutrient content claims regarding the absence of sugar in foods. 

Sincerely, 

Barbara O. Schneeman, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Food and Drug Administration

Are your food products healthy? Did you know when using the term “healthy” on a product it is required that the food meet criteria set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? The FDA has defined several terms, such as healthy, that you can use to characterize the level of nutrients in a food.  Below is a simplified guide on the use of nutrient content claims.

•  Free   Food containing no consequential amount of one or more of these components: fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars or calories.
• Light   Food containing one-third fewer calories, half the fat, or half the sodium of the traditional version of the food.
• Low   Food low in a specific nutrient: low-fat, 3 g or less per reference amount; low-saturated fat, 1 g or less per reference amount; low-sodium, 140 mg or less per reference amount; very low in sodium, 35 mg or less per reference amount; low in cholesterol, 20 mg or less and 2 g or less of saturated fat per reference amount; and low in calories, 40 calories or less per reference amount.
• Reduced   A nutritionally altered food containing at least 25 percent fewer calories or 25 percent less of a specific nutrient than the regular product.
• Less   Food containing at least 25 percent fewer calories or 25 percent less of a specific nutrient than foods in a similar category.
• More   A reference amount of food that contains at least 10 percent more of the Daily Value of a certain nutrient than a food with which it is compared.
• Good Source   A reference amount of food that contains 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value of a certain nutrient than a food with which it is compared.
• High   A reference amount of food that contains 20 percent or more of the Daily Value of a certain nutrient than a food with which it is compared.
• Healthy   Low in fat and saturated fat, with limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium and provides 10 percent or more of the Daily Value of vitamins A or C, iron, calcium, protein or fiber per reference amount.