Pressure Points
In the U.S., production of food products in the aerosol form
is on the rise. According to CSPA’s 2016 Aerosol Pressurized
Products Survey, the U.S. production of aerosol food products
has increased every year since 2007. Over the last 10 years, the
aerosol food products category has grown 28.5%, with production
reaching an estimated 576 million aerosol containers. Consequently,
it’s important for the aerosol industry to be aware of the
ongoing changes with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration
(FDA) and the Nutrition Facts label.
In May 2016, the FDA announced and published changes to
the Nutrition Facts label requirements for packaged foods, marking
the first changes in over 20 years to the label. The intent of
the new nutrition labeling requirements is to make it easier for
consumers to make informed decisions about the food they purchase
and eat. For aerosols, this would cover products such as pan
sprays, whipped cream, spray cheeses, iced coffee in aerosol containers,
spray food colorants and batters in aerosol cans, among
many others. Manufacturers will need to update their labels by
including nutritional information not previously required on the
label, modifying the daily value percentage of nutrients based
on changes to recommended dietary needs and changing some
aspects of the overall format to better inform consumers.
NICHOLAS GEORGES
Director, Scientific Affairs, CSPA
When these changes were originally published, the mandatory
compliance date was set for July 26, 2018 with small manufacturers
(annual sales less than $10 million) having an additional year
extension with a compliance date of July 26, 2019. However, on
June 13, 2017, the FDA announced it will extend the compliance
date following industry and consumer group feedback. The extension
allows manufacturers additional time to complete and print
new labels for their products. As we go to press, the FDA has not
announced the new compliance deadline.
So what’s changed? Figure 1 shows a side by side comparison of
the current and new Nutrition Facts labels. Here’s a summary of
the changes:
• Added sugars will be displayed in grams and as % Daily
Value on the label.
• “Vitamin D” and “Potassium” will be required on the label,
replacing “Vitamin A” and “Vitamin C.” These vitamins,
along with other vitamins and minerals, can still be listed,
but are not required.
• The “Calories from Fat” listing is being removed, but “Total
Fat,” “Saturated Fat” and “Trans Fat” will still be required to
appear on the label.
• The new label will have increased font sizes for “Calories,”
“servings per container” and “Serving size” declarations.
• The number for “Calories” and the “Serving size”
declarations will be bolded.
• The daily values for various nutrients have been updated
based on newer scientific evidence from the Institute of
Medicine and other reports such as the 2015 Dietary Guide-
lines Advisory Committee Report.
• The label will have updated serving sizes based on the
amount of food people are actually eating. Package sizes
influence how much people eat. For packages that are
between one and two servings, the calories and other
nutrients will be required to be labeled as one serving.
Certain products that are larger than a single serving size
but could be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings will
require a “dual column” label, which will show the number
of calories and nutrients on both a per serving and per
package basis.
While awaiting a new compliance date from FDA, companies
should continue the transition to the new label or begin preparing
to change the labels if you haven’t started. Some of the daily
values for nutrients have changed drastically based on new dietary
recommendations, so it will be important to know the nutritional
value of each nutrient within the product to accurately recalculate
the % Daily Value.
Bon appétit. Spray
Food for Thought
10 Spray October 2017
1U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label. (2017,
June 19). https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocuments-
RegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm#highlights
Figure 1: A side by side comparison of the current and new Nutrition Facts
labels.1