Mais consumidores est\u00e3o se unindo ao movimento de “r\u00f3tulo limpo” (clean label) e se afastando de ingredientes artificiais, conservantes, antibi\u00f3ticos e outros modificadores de alimentos fabricados pelo homem. De acordo com a Nielsen, 48% dos consumidores nos EUA escolhem produtos locais, naturais e org\u00e2nicos quando poss\u00edvel, e um estudo no Journal of Food Science descobriu que os consumidores est\u00e3o dispostos a pagar mais por alimentos rotulados como “naturais”.<\/p>\n
Estat\u00edsticas como essas t\u00eam muitos fabricantes de alimentos imaginando quais s\u00e3o as regras para jogar esse jogo de r\u00f3tulos limpos. Gigantes de fabrica\u00e7\u00e3o como a Campbell Soup Company e a Mondelez v\u00eam simplificando suas linhas de ingredientes para eliminar cores artificiais, conservantes e sabores para incorporar ingredientes reconhec\u00edveis para o consumidor m\u00e9dio. Capturar essa tend\u00eancia de consumo tem uma vantagem bastante distintiva de marketing, e n\u00e3o parece que vaia desaparecer.<\/p>\n
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Definindo Natural<\/strong><\/p>\n Atualmente, a FDA n\u00e3o tem uma defini\u00e7\u00e3o regulat\u00f3ria formal para “natural”, mas a ag\u00eancia considerou o termo como significando que “n\u00e3o se incluiu ou adicionou nada artificial ou sint\u00e9tico (incluindo todos os aditivos de cor, independentemente da fonte) que n\u00e3o estivesse presente normalmente em um alimento determinado”. Em novembro de 2015, a FDA pediu opini\u00f5es sobre o uso de “natural” na rotulagem de alimentos humanos, depois de receber tr\u00eas peti\u00e7\u00f5es de cidad\u00e3os solicitando que a ag\u00eancia revisasse o uso do termo. Especificamente, a FDA perguntou se \u00e9 apropriado definir o termo \u201cnatural\u201d, como ele deve definir \u201cnatural\u201d e como deve determinar o uso apropriado do termo nos r\u00f3tulos de alimentos. O per\u00edodo de coment\u00e1rios foi fechado em maio de 2016, deixando mais de 7.000 coment\u00e1rios para a FDA. At\u00e9 que eles voltarem com uma defini\u00e7\u00e3o formal, \u00e9 melhor seguir a defini\u00e7\u00e3o da ag\u00eancia.<\/p>\n Definindo Saud\u00e1vel<\/strong><\/p>\n Para rotular a maioria dos alimentos como “saud\u00e1veis”, os regulamentos atuais da FDA exigem que quantidades espec\u00edficas do produto:<\/p>\n Due to evolving public health recommendations and industry criticism of these current criteria, FDA published a request for information to solicit public input on redefining the term “healthy” in September 2016.<\/p>\n One case that led to re-evaluation of the term involved KIND LLC, which was issued a warning letter in March 2015 after FDA reviewed some of KIND’s food labels and found that, among other things, some of the products were too high in saturated fat to claim they were healthy. In response, KIND submitted a citizen petition to FDA in December 2015, urging the agency to update its definition of “healthy” to reflect modern dietary guidance. For example, FDA’s current definition of “healthy” rules out foods like nuts, avocados, salmon and eggs. While high in fats, these foods are generally recognized as part of a healthy diet. The current definition of “healthy” also factors in vitamins A and C, which have been made voluntary under the new Nutrition Facts labeling rules, but omits potassium and vitamin D, which are now mandatory.<\/p>\n So far, nearly 900 comments have been submitted in response to FDA’s request for information, and the agency will continue accepting comments through April 26, 2017. Until FDA finalizes a new definition for “healthy,” manufacturers should continue to use the current regulatory definition. FDA is also using enforcement discretion to allow a food to be labeled as “healthy” if it:<\/p>\n Gluten-Free<\/strong><\/p>\n FDA issued a final rule for labeling food \u201cgluten-free” in August 2013. In addition to “gluten-free,” the agency\u2019s definition applies to food labeled with the terms “free of gluten,” “no gluten” and “without gluten”.<\/p>\n Before the rule came into effect, there was no federal standard for using these terms. This posed a danger for consumers with the digestive disorder celiac disease, for whom consuming gluten can cause negative health effects.<\/p>\n Under FDA\u2019s rule, a food may be labeled as \u201cgluten-free” so long as it does not contain an ingredient that:<\/p>\n This includes products that are inherently gluten free (like rice) as well as those that have been specifically processed or formulated to remove gluten.<\/p>\n Organic<\/strong><\/p>\n USDA regulates the term “organic” on food labeling, even for foods under FDA jurisdiction. There are four ways that foods may be labeled as organic:<\/p>\n Water and salt should not be considered when calculating the percentage of organic ingredients in a food product.<\/p>\n USDA’s regulations for labeling food as organic are strict and extensive. For example, the agency will not consider an ingredient to be organic if it is produced with genetic engineering, ionizing radiation or sewage sludge, or if it contains sulfites, nitrates, or nitrites added during the production or handling process. Also, most foods labeled as organic must be overseen by a USDA National Organic Program-authorized certifying agent. Manufacturers should familiarize themselves with all of USDA’s requirements before labeling food with the term “organic.”<\/p>\n\n
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