Product Description
FDA Guidelines: Labels Statements for Refrigerated Foods
Action: Notice, Federal Register, Vol. 62, No. 26, February 24, 1997
On February 23, 1997 a "guidance" document appeared in the Federal Register relating to the labeling of foods that need refrigeration to maintain safety and/or quality. Below, a summary of the major points in the guidance document is provided. Note that this document is not a regulation, and therefore it does not have the force of law or a specific effective date.
One of the apparent motivating factors behind this guidance document was several recent outbreaks of botulism in foods that were not refrigerated by consumers because they were packaged in a manner suggesting that they might be shelf-stable (e.g., a clam chowder product packaged in a plastic bag inside a cardboard carton and a bean dip packaged in a resealable plastic tub). However, both foods had a "keep refrigerated" statement on their labels.
The Agency expressed concern in the Federal Register notice that consumers may not be aware that some newer, less traditional packaged foods need refrigeration. Examples of such products mentioned by FDA include fresh cut fruits and vegetables, vacuum or modified atmosphere packaged products in clear flexible packaging, and foods packaged in cardboard containers resembling shelf-stable packages.
FDA is also concerned that traditional label statements such as "keep refrigerated" do not help consumers distinguish between products that must be refrigerated for safety reasons and those that may be refrigerated to prevent loss of quality.
The new guidance document announced in the Federal Register establishes three categories of foods:
Group "A" foods are those that must be kept refrigerated at all times during their shelf life to prevent the growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms. The FDA is strongly urging the use of the following label statement (preferably on the principal display panel) for all Group "A" products:
IMPORTANT Must be Kept Refrigerated To Maintain Safety
Group "B" foods are those that are shelf-stable as a result of processing but that, once opened, the unused portion is potentially hazardous unless refrigerated. The recommended statement for this group of products is:
IMPORTANT Must Be Refrigerated After Opening to Maintain Safety
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Company Profile
- Name: CERTIFIED LABORATORIES
- Main Products: services to the refrigerated,seafood,meat,dairy, spice,frozen and prepared food industries,for products produced both domestically and abroad.
- Business Type: Service
- Total Employees: < 20
- Address: 200 Express Street,Plainview, NY 11803 USA
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CERTIFIED LABORATORIES is a private, independent laboratory comprised of four nationally recognized laboratories; Certified Laboratories, Fitelson Laboratories, Commodity Laboratories and Columbia Food Laboratories of California. Each of these laboratories has developed its own area of specialization and is an acknowledged leader in its respective field.
CERTIFIED LABORATORIES was established in 1926 by Dr. Charles Paley. Since its inception, Certified Laboratories has been involved in public health activities, utilizing its expertise in food chemistry, microbiology and sanitation. In 1947, Bernard Tzall became Assistant Director and assumed full Directorship of the laboratory in 1967. In 1977, Martin Mitchell joined Certified as Assistant Director, and became Director in 1981.
Fitelson Laboratories was founded in 1951 by Dr. Jack Fitelson, whose prior affiliation had been with the United States Food & Drug Administration. Dr. Fitelson had established a reputation for his ability to detect adulteration of products such as vanilla, olive oil, and juice concentrates. Today, Fitelson Laboratories excels in food analysis, and employs the most sophisticated instrumentation in its testing procedures.
Commodity Laboratories was established in 1952 by Mr. Sal Sica to evaluate the cleanliness of raw spices. The laboratory was one of the first to be accredited by the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) to perform these tests. Commodity's expertise has since expanded to the examination of a wide variety of foodstuffs for sanitation, pesticide residues and other critical quality control characteristics.
Columbia Food Laboratories was established in Anaheim, California in 1982 by Dr. Colin Campbell. This laboratory is expert in all areas of food chemistry and microbiology with specialization in the meat industry. It is the latest laboratory to join with Certified Laboratories making it the acknowledged leader in food analysis in Southern California.
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