Food Labeling
Just gimme some truth —John Lennon
image by: BrianAJackson
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The Surprising Failure Of Food Labeling
Food labeling is one of the least objectionable types of regulation bursting into the scene in recent decades. It is also one of the least successful.
The ongoing explosive debate about labeling foods produced from genetically engineered crops, known as GMOs, is a testament to how important food labeling is perceived... “Labelists” (folks who embrace mandated labeling as an effective form of regulation) have successfully pushed for an assortment of food labels over the past two decades.
Obamacare, for example, requires (as do many local laws) the prominent posting of calories in restaurants. First Lady Michelle Obama, a well-intentioned food labelist, is promoting what she…
Resources
Taking a No-Tolerance Approach to Deceptive Food Labeling
All we want when we look at a food label is to know what's in the stuff we're considering putting in our bodies. Because a lot of companies know they'll move more product if they fudge the facts, only strong disincentives to their doing so will stop them.
A Food Label That Gets Right to the Point
The new serving sizes, along with calorie counts in a large, bold font, are likely to make the new labels easier to read and more helpful. A category for added sugars will help consumers distinguish between sugar from fruits and vegetables, which comes with nutrients, and sugar that provides only empty calories. But the labels, which most food companies will have to use by July 2018, still have serious limitations.
Big changes planned for the sell-by dates on food packaging
The Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Assn., the two largest trade groups for the grocery industry, recently announced that they've adopted standardized, voluntary regulations to clear up what product date labels mean.
Consumer Advocates Wary of Digitally Coded Food Labels
QR codes would be used to disclose GMO ingredients; would consumers go to the trouble?
Deconstructing Food Labels in 8 Easy Steps
From calories to carbohydrates, and from proteins to sodium levels, let’s take some time to properly deconstruct a typical food label and consider the nutritional content of the foods we’re eating.
FDA Seeks to Redefine ‘Healthy’
Decision marks step in FDA’s effort to catch up to changing ideas about health, eating habits.
GMO food labels are meaningless
The push for labels on “genetically modi-fied” or engineered food is one of those social movements that sounds unimpeachable — like “Free the Whales” or “Save the Planet.”
How Well Do You Know Your Food Labels?
New food products making claims about health and nutritional attributes are on the rise. With the average American grocery store carrying 42,214 items, it’s easy to see why a trip down the aisle can leave you scratching your head. Test your supermarket savvy with this quiz.
What Do Food Labels Like ‘Cage Free’ Hide From You?
As consumer interest in how our food is produced has increased, so too has the use of subtle imagery of happy livestock grazing in lush pastures on food packaging. They’re backed up by claims like “all natural,” “cage free” and “organic.” Yet in many cases these labels bear no resemblance whatsoever to how the animals are raised.
The Surprising Failure Of Food Labeling
Food labeling is one of the least objectionable types of regulation bursting into the scene in recent decades. It is also one of the least successful.
Clean Label Project
We are a nonprofit focused on health and transparency in consumer product labeling. Clean Label Project’s mission is to educate consumers so they can make informed choices every time they shop. We accomplish this by using scientific data to identify toxins in consumer products and by sharing this information with you, the consumer.
Canada.ca
About food labels, requirements, buying food grown or prepared in Canada, report a concern and technical documents.
Food Standards Agency
Guidance notes for businesses on food labelling regulations that concern food safety.
FoodInsight.org
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation is dedicated to the mission of effectively communicating science-based information on health, nutrition and food safety for the public good.
USDA
General information and resources for food labeling.
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