FDA Issues Archives - Page 20 of 32 - Customs & International Trade Law Firm

FDA’s Declared War on Sugar

Take a look at any food label. Check out the back panel entitled “Nutrition Facts”. It should look similar to the image on the left. Take a look at the total carbohydrate. In this sample, the total carbs is 37g, with 4g of dietary fiber, and 1g of sugar. That leaves 32g of carbohydrates unaccounted for! What are those carbs you might wonder? Well, a majority of them are added sugars.

On May 20, 2016 the FDA finalized the new Nutrition Facts label final rule for packaged foods. It was the first major update, and regulation, to the nutrition facts label in 20 years. The FDA’s regulation targeted sugars, in particular “added sugars”, and provided a major update to the amount of nutrients people customarily consume. Additionally, the nutrition facts label received a face lift.

Total Sugars and Added Sugars

Total Sugars, Sugars, and Added Sugars, what’s the difference? Total sugars will be replacing the declaration of sugars in the label. Total sugars include all sugars present in the food product, including added sugars. Sugars include the sugar content of the main ingredients. For example, if you have a juice, sugars represent the sugar level in the fruit added to the juice. Added sugars are either added during the processing of foods, or when packaged. Food manufacturers utilize added sugars to make products sweeter or to include […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2016-06-03T00:40:17-04:00June 3, 2016|Enforcement, FSMA, Labeling, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|0 Comments

The End of Vape Shops, Hookah Shops, And E-Cigs? FDA’s New “Deeming” Laws

On April 24, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) announced that it was officially “deeming” e-cigs, e-hookah, vape pens, and other tobacco products subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). This article covered the proposed regulation at the time. On May 10, 2016 the FDA published the final rule on the new deeming law.

What Are Tobacco Products and What’s Being Regulated?

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By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T11:34:21-04:00May 26, 2016|E-Cigarette, FDA Issues, Import, Pre-compliance, Tobacco, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

Keep Calm and FSMA Doc On!

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) most comprehensive reform of food safety regulation. The full Act can be found here. The FDA’s main goal is to make food safer through every step of the process, starting at farms. Imported food is also covered under FSMA, which makes sense as imported food now accounts for approximately 15% of food consumption in the U.S. Rather than focusing on the inspection and response to contamination, the goal of the FSMA is to prevent contamination. Diaz Trade Law covered the changes on June 11, 2015 here.

President Obama signed the FSMA into law on January 4, 2011. FSMA will be implemented slowly in a staggered manner and will be fully implemented by the end of 2017. Implementation varies based on the particular food, company size, and situation, since the FSMA applies to such a broad category. Diaz Trade Law can assist you in learning the basic requirements for FDA regulated products here.

Companies affected by the FSMA will be any company in the food supply chain. Any company that imports, distributes, grows, produces, packages, transports or sells any type of food must be compliant. The company that owns the food is the company responsible for creating a food safety plan. That means that companies that store, carry, or transport the food do not need a food safety plan, but they still must be FSMA compliant.

Diaz Trade Law has compiled 3 top tips to successfully follow […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2016-05-12T21:51:32-04:00May 12, 2016|FDA Issues, Food, FSMA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|0 Comments

We are excited to announce our upcoming 3 part seminar series on Importing, Exporting, and FDA Compliance! Government and private speakers will participate.

Each seminar will provide resources for new and experienced international trade
professionals including:

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By Jennifer Diaz|2016-03-16T00:32:31-04:00August 24, 2015|Best Practices, Cosmetics, Cuba, Events, Export, FDA Issues, Food, Medical Devices, OWIT, U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

Food Importers – FDA Issues New Guidance Aimed at Expediting Your Importations

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most sweeping reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years and was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. FSMA aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it. FSMA requires FDA to establish a voluntary, fee-based program, named the “Voluntary Qualified Importer Program” (VQIP) which promises expedited review and importation of foods from importers who achieve and maintain a high level of control over the safety and security of their supply chains.

On June 4^th, 2015 the FDA published a draft version of “Guidance for Industry: FDA’s Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP)”. According to FDA’s website, VQIP will also benefit consumers by enabling the FDA to focus its resources on high risk foods, further protecting consumers from the potential health hazards associated with those foods. In order for a food importer to be eligible for the VQIP program, the importer should:

Have at least a 3 year history of importing foods
Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number
Use a paperless filer/broker who received a passing rating during their last FDA evaluation
Import food that is not subject to an import alert or Class 1 recall
Not be, nor any non-applicant entity associated with the VQIP food be, subject to an FDA administrative or judicial action, have a history of significant non-compliance with food safety, or have one or more […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T10:39:22-04:00June 11, 2015|Best Practices, Food, FSMA, Import, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|2 Comments

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FDA Issues

FDA’s Declared War on Sugar

The End of Vape Shops, Hookah Shops, And E-Cigs? FDA’s New “Deeming” Laws

Keep Calm and FSMA Doc On!

3 Part Compliance Seminar Series You DON’T Want to Miss!

Food Importers – FDA Issues New Guidance Aimed at Expediting Your Importations