FDA to extend comment period on proposed rules on the nutrition and supplement facts labels

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending the comment period by 60 days, to August 1, 2014, for the following two proposed rules that appeared in the FEDERAL REGISTER of March 3, 2014:

• Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
• Food Labeling: Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed At One-Eating Occasion; Dual-Column Labeling; Updating, Modifying, and Establishing Certain Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed; Serving Size for Breath Mints; and Technical Amendments

We are taking this action in response to requests for an extension to allow interested persons additional time to submit comments. The extension notices are scheduled to be on display in the FEDERAL REGISTER on May 23 and to publish on May 27, 2014.

FDA is proposing to update the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect the most recent public health and scientific information, including information about the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease. The proposed label would also update out-of-date serving size requirements to better align with how much people really eat, and it features a fresh design to highlight key parts of the label such as calories and serving sizes.

For more information:

• Proposed Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label