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Agri-Food Export Group / Questions and Answers / Labelling & Regulation Services
Questions and AnswersLabeling and Food Regulations Service
How can you help us with your labeling and regulation services? We offer a whole range of labeling and regulations services for food products: confirmation of conformity of your packaging before it is completed; adaptation of your Canadian packaging to a foreign market; confirmation of conformity of your list of ingredients; preparing your U.S. or European list of ingredients; checking nutritional claims; response to specific questions regarding formulas or labels; USDA approvals for your meat or poultry products. The mission of Export Group’s labeling and regulation service is to offer members and the food industry professional, courteous and prompt consulting services at competitive prices. The goal is to ease the difficult task of adapting packages and formulas to foreign regulation requirements and to facilitate the approval process. We have extensive in-house expertise concerning U.S. FDA and USDA regulations and we have excellent contacts for other markets. Is the labeling consultation service free? Members benefit from a free consultation service for general labeling questions and for those that require minimal research; members also benefit from competitive and privileged rates for services regarding label checking, label adaptation, establishment of nutritional values, USDA approval of meat products or detailed research on a regulatory issue. In addition, members benefit from complete after sale service at no additional charge. How does the Export Group’s labeling service determine the nutritional profile of our product? We offer computerized nutritional analysis (through our data base) and, if necessary, we can refer you to an analysis laboratory. Computerized nutritional analysis: you send us your product formula, raw material specifications and details of the manufacturing process, all in strictest confidence. We analyze your product using sophisticated software and a data base to determine the nutritional values of your product per 100 grams. We then determine the size of a portion based on a reference portion; we calculate the nutritional profile per portion; we apply the appropriate rounding-off rules and calculate the daily values (%DV). Finally, we provide you with a table of nutritional values - Nutrition Facts – formatted to fit your package and in keeping with FDA specifications, i.e. a ready to use product. How does the FDA react to the computerized analysis method? As a matter of fact, the FDA and the USDA encourage the use of data bases as cost effective alternatives to lab analyses. What is important is that the statement on the label reflects the real composition of the product. The method used for the analysis is not important. Comparisons between data calculated with properly prepared data bases and data obtained from laboratory analyses show that results obtained from data bases are often better indicators of the nutritional elements in the product than one or two laboratory analyses. Must the labels on our products conform to FDA/USDA regulations when we participate at a food show in the United States? All labels on products (even on samples) entering United States territory must conform to FDA/USDA regulations. The new customs regulations are very strict. Your goods will not reach their destination if they do not conform and you will incur additional expenses. |
