For consumers, reviewing nutritional labels is commonplace though what to pay attention to has changed over the decades. We often think of these labels as a convenience but in reality, they are a requirement. The FDA reviews and makes changes to the nutrition facts label when needed.
The latest updates came in 2016 “to reflect updated scientific information, including information about the link between diet and chronic diseases, such as obesity and heart disease.” The updated labels make it easier for consumers to make better-informed food choices.
Changes in labeling requirements can be overwhelming to manufacturers, especially those who may have hundreds or thousands of different products. The FDA will typically provide a reasonable deadline before enforcing changes. Many of these deadlines are based on the size of the business, with the understanding that smaller businesses may not have the resources or logistics in place to make a sweeping change in a short amount of time. For this most recent change, manufacturers with $10 million in annual sales or more were required to be in compliance by January 1, 2020, whereas those with less than $10 million in annual sales had until January 1, 2021.
When a manufacturer reviews the process for label changes, they must consider the whole supply chain. What is in the market already? What is the expiration of that product? What is in production right now and what is in process of being labeled? (This doesn’t include the multiple locations they may be operating from). Enterprise labeling systems can solve most of these concerns. Change management with labels is as easy as the click of a few buttons and a new, updated label is ready for use. What becomes more difficult is how to address the products that are at the various stages mentioned above. Having a trusted advisor that can help identify and provide solutions for all scenarios is invaluable. At the end of the day, the onus is on the manufacturer to make the needed changes and Pragmatyxs can help. From reconfiguring label design to assisting with label change management, our team can support new requirements with ease.