2.  Food labelling is used to inform
consumers of the properties of
pre-packaged food. The most
important rule of labelling is that
the consumer should not be
misled. This section covers some
of the main areas of food labelling
requirements.

3.  The term "label" refers to any
written, printed, or graphic matter on
the food's immediate container.
"Labelling" includes the label and any
other written, printed, or graphic
matter accompanying the product in
commerce (e.g., point-of-sale
pamphlets). Most label information is
required to appear on either the
"principal display panel" (PDP) or the
"information panel."

4. The PDP is the part of the label most likely
to be displayed to, and examined
by, consumers under customary conditions
of retail sale. The information panel is
generally the panel contiguous to, and to
the right of, the PDP. If that panel is
unusable or too small, the next panel to the
right of it may serve as the information
panel. If the top of the container is the
PDP, the information panel may be any
panel adjacent to the PDP.

5.  General prohibition against misbranding.
Federal law provides that a food product
may be deemed "misbranded" if any part of
its labelling is false or misleading. This
general provision establishes misbranding
even where no specific regulatory
requirement has been violated. A food also
may be deemed misbranded if any required
information is not presented prominently
enough—that is, likely to be read and
understood by the ordinary consumer under
usual conditions of purchase and use.

7.  Must the information on the
label be in English?
 What must appear on the
label?
 Is there anything else that
should go on the label?

8.  THE
GENERAL LABELING
REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT FOODS
MUST BE LABEL IN ENGLISH.THE
FOODS MAY ALSO BE LABELED IN
OTHER LANGUAGES BUT ONLY IN
ADDITION TO ENGLISH.

9.  INGREDIENTS
 QUANTITY OF CERTAIN INGREDIENTS
 NET QUANTITY
 DATE OF MINIMUM DURABILITY
 ANY SPECIAL STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
OR CONDITIONS OF USE
 BUSINESS NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE
MANUFACTURER OR PACKAGER.

10.  PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE FOOD
STUFF IF ITS ABSENCE MIGHT
MISLEAD THE CONSUMER TO A
MATERIAL DEGREE.
 INSTRUCTION FOR USE IF
NECESSARY

11.  Name of the product.

12.  Statement of identity.
The statement of identity (i.e., the name of the product) must be
presented on the PDP. Both the FDA and the USDA have regulations
establishing "standards of identity" for certain foods. These
regulations prescribe the composition of a food and specify the name
of the food to be used in labeling. For example, a food composed of
tomato concentrate, vinegar, and spices must be identified as
"catsup," "ketchup," or "catchup." However, not all statements of
identity are dictated with such specificity. For any given product, the
statement of identity is one of the following:
 The name of the food as specified in any applicable federal law or
regulation, such as a standard of identity (e.g., "ketchup") or a federal
common or usual name regulation (e.g, "peanut spread")
 The common or usual name of the food, established by common
usage (e.g., "French toast")
 An appropriately descriptive term (e.g., "hard candy")
 A fanciful name commonly used by the public when the nature of the
food is obvious (e.g., "candy corn").

13.  List of ingredients.

14.  Ingredients list.
Each ingredient present in a food product must be
listed by its common or usual name in descending
order of predominance by weight. While most
ingredients must be identified by their specific
name, use of generic names is permitted for
certain ingredients (e.g., "spices," "natural flavor").
Special rules apply to the listing of certain types of
ingredients. For example, chemical preservatives
must be listed by their name, followed by a
description of their function—such as "BHT (a
preservative)." Certified color additives must be
identified by their specific name (e.g., "Yellow 5" or
"FD&C Blue 1 Lake"), but color additives not subject
to certification may be listed using a generic term
(e.g., "artificial color") or a specific name followed
by a description of its function (e.g., "caramel
color").

15. An ingredient that itself contains two or more
ingredients must be listed in one of two ways:
By declaring the common or usual name of the
ingredient followed by a parenthetical listing all of
its components—for example, "milk chocolate
(sugar, cocoa butter, milk, chocolate liquor, soy
lecithin, vanilla)," or
By listing each component of the multicomponent
ingredient without declaring the multicomponent
ingredient itself—for example, "sugar, cocoa
butter, milk, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin, vanilla."
The ingredients list may appear on either the PDP
or the information panel, but it usually appears on
the information panel. It must appear on the same
panel as the nutrition facts and the signature line
unless space constraints prevent such placement.

16.  Nutrition facts.

17.  The amounts of certain nutrients present in one serving of the
food product must be presented in the "nutrition facts" panel.
Similar products have the same serving size so that consumers
can easily compare nutrient levels. Nutrition facts must state
the serving size (i.e., the size of one serving) and, unless the
product contains only a single serving, the number of servings
in the package. Generally, the following nutrients must be
declared: calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat,
cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars,
protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. If other
vitamins or minerals are added to the food, they also must be
declared.
The graphic requirements for nutrition facts are highly detailed.
Nutrition facts generally must appear on the PDP or the
information panel. They must appear on the same panel as the
ingredients list and the signature line, unless there are space
constraints.

18.  Quantity of certain ingredients.

19.  The net quantity of contents must be
presented on the PDP of the food label
in measures both English avoirdupois
(i.e., ounces, pounds, etc.) and metric
(i.e., liters, grams, etc.). For meat and
poultry products, the net contents
declaration is required to appear only
in avoirdupois measure.

20.  Any special storage instructions or
conditions of use.

21.  Expiration date.

22.  Manufacturer .

23.  The name and place of business of the manufacturer,
packer, or distributor is typically called the "signature
line" and must be presented on the same panel as the
ingredients list and nutrition facts (usually the
information panel), unless space constraints preclude
such placement. If the name is not that of the
manufacturer, it must be preceded by a qualifying
phrase stating the firm's relation to the product (e.g.,
"manufactured for" or "distributed by"). The signature
line must include a city or town, state (or country, if
outside the United States), and ZIP code (or mailing
code if outside the United States). A street address
must be provided unless the firm is listed in a current
city or telephone directory.

24.  Any information that is false or misleading in any
particular will render a product misbranded. In
determining whether a food label is false or
misleading, both affirmative representations and
omissions of material facts may be considered.
Certain information is clearly prohibited from the
labeling of food products. This includes
unauthorized nutrient content claims (for
instance, claiming "high in omega-3 fatty
acids"), health claims not authorized by FDA or
supported by an authoritative statement, and
disease claims (for instance, claiming "helps
lower blood pressure" would subject a product to
regulation as a drug).