United States, March 03, 2010
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified 17 food manufacturers that the labeling for 22 of their food products violates the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The action follows an October 2009 statement by Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret Hamburg, M.D., encouraging companies to review their labeling to ensure that they were in compliance with FDA regulations, and were truthful and not misleading.
In an open letter to Industry dated March 3, 2010, Dr. Hamburg underscored the importance of providing nutrition information that consumers could rely on.
"Today, ready access to reliable information about the calorie and nutrient content of food is even more important, given the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in the United States," Dr. Hamburg said in the letter. She also expressed her hope that the warning letters would clarify the FDA’s expectations for food manufacturers as they review their current labeling.
The violations cited in the warning letters include unauthorized health claims, unauthorized nutrient content claims, and the unauthorized use of terms such as “healthy,” and others that have strict, regulatory definitions.
Review the reasons for the warning letters
Companies that received warning letters have 15 business days to inform the FDA of the steps they will take to correct their labeling.
Dr. Hamburg has made nutrition labeling a priority for the FDA. The warning letters are the agency’s most recent action to help improve consumers’ ability to make nutritious choices. The FDA soon will propose guidance regarding calorie and nutrient labeling on the front of food packages and plans to work collaboratively with the food industry to design and implement innovative approaches to front-of-package labeling that can help consumers choose healthy diets.
More on front of pack labeling and health claims | | | |
| United States, March 03, 2010
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Restaurant visit losses in each of the four quarters of 2009 contributed to a -3 percent decline for the year compared to a year ago, according to The NPD Group, a leading market research company. NPD’s foodservice market research reports that due to weak traffic and only modest check growth, consumer spending at restaurants in 2009 declined for the first time since the company began tracking the foodservice industry in 1976.
According to NPD’s CREST®, which continually tracks consumer usage of foodservice, foodservice industry traffic turned soft in the summer quarter of 2008 and declines accelerated in mid-2009. In the fourth quarter, traffic declines slowed from the steep loss in Q3, but they were still down -2.9 percent. All segments of the industry ─ quick service restaurants, midscale, casual dining, non-commercial, and fine dining ─ posted traffic declines.
“In 2008, consumers appeared to trade down some full service visits for fast food visits. In 2009 they made fewer visits to restaurants overall,” says Bonnie Riggs, NPD’s restaurant industry analyst. “When consumers did visit restaurants, they favored lower priced options.”
The industry weakness traces to the weak state of the economy, especially in terms of high unemployment and low consumer confidence. Nearly half of the traffic losses related to fewer visits made by people picking up something from a foodservice outlet to eat at work. Visit cutbacks by families with kids and young adults, who are the heaviest restaurant users, also contributed to the traffic declines, reports NPD.
In addition, lower food commodity prices, while easing margin pressure for some restaurant operators, also made grocery store prices more appealing for consumers. NPD, which tracks consumption behavior and attitudes in-home and away-from-home, finds consumers viewing in-home meals as more affordable, especially among consumers most concerned about their finances.
The non-commercial foodservice sector also experienced declines in 2009. According to NPD’s CREST OnSite®, which tracks usage of foodservice at business and industry, secondary schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, lodging, senior care, military, and vending segments, for the year ending December 2009, non-commercial foodservice traffic declined by -9 percent. Sectors most affected by the economy and high unemployment, such as business and industry, vending, and lodging, posted the steepest declines.
According to Riggs, the outlook for 2010 remains difficult for the foodservice industry until unemployment gets under control. Foodservice demand is expected to be weak through the first three quarters of the year. NPD’s forecast model shows a modest growth in the fourth quarter of the year.
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