Category: Food regulation

According to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), a comprehensive Food Standards Code exists to regulate claims, but multiple bodies share responsibility for enforcing nutrition and health claims in Australia, creating a multi-layered oversight system. This ensures consumer protection and truthful advertising in the food industry.

Despite being widely approved in the U.S. and other countries, the question "why was monk fruit banned?" persists due to its complex regulatory history. The misconception stems largely from its delayed and restrictive status in the European Union, which classified certain extracts as 'novel food'.

The UK's legal framework for organic food is based on a retained version of EU law, establishing strict standards for production, processing, and labelling. This regulatory system ensures that any product marketed as 'organic' meets specific, verifiable criteria, protecting both consumers and producers.

In June 2023, the USDA approved the first labels for cell-cultivated chicken, marking a major milestone for lab grown meat in the United States. While this development paved the way for commercial sales, it also raised crucial questions about how this novel product would be identified for consumers. The answer is complex, involving both federal and state-level regulations to ensure transparency.

According to the National Coffee Association, over 62% of Americans drink coffee daily, making it one of the country's most popular beverages. Despite its widespread consumption, many people are unaware of the regulatory framework behind their morning cup and often ask, 'Does coffee need FDA approval?'. The answer is complex, as the FDA regulates coffee differently than it would a drug, focusing on safety and labeling rather than pre-market approval.

In 1990, the United States passed a landmark law that completely changed how packaged food information was presented. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, or NLEA, was enacted to make nutrition labels consistent, understandable, and verifiable for consumers.

According to UK food labelling regulations, the nutritional values displayed on food labels are average figures, meaning they are not always perfectly precise. Understanding the acceptable 'margin of error', or official tolerance, is crucial for consumers who rely on this information for dietary decisions. This guide explains the specific regulations that govern the accuracy of nutrition labels across the UK.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many foods are not required to carry a nutrition facts panel. This article explores the specific criteria and categories that determine what are the exemptions for nutrition labeling, providing clarity for both businesses and consumers.

As of November 2024, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) increased the acceptable daily intake for saccharin, reaffirming its safety for human consumption. This decision has put a spotlight on the regulations for this century-old artificial sweetener, prompting many to ask, "is saccharin allowed in Europe?".

In 2024, the European Food Safety Authority flagged a number of food products for containing unauthorized chemicals, part of a long-standing pattern that explains why Gatorade is not allowed in Europe in its standard American formulation. The primary reason for this restriction is the EU's stringent regulations concerning specific ingredients, particularly certain artificial food dyes and historical use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO). This contrast highlights fundamental differences in food safety approaches between continents.