FDA proposes revisions to vending machine calorie declarations

Rule is intended to ease regulatory burdens

The FDA is proposing a revision to the type size labeling requirements for front of package (FOP) calorie declarations for packaged food sold from glass front vending machines.

The current regulations for FOP labeling require that the type size of the calorie declaration must be at least 50 percent of the size of the largest printed matter on the label. The proposed rule would require the type size to be at least 150 percent of the size of the net quantity of contents declaration on the package.

The proposed revision comes after feedback from the vending and packaged foods industries regarding the regulatory burdens of the type size requirement. The proposed rule will keep in place the calorie declarations for the products required to have them.

Comments are open on the proposed rule until Sept. 25.

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Casey Laughman is the former Editor in Chief of Food Engineering magazine. He has almost two decades’ experience as a writer and editor for mainstream and trade publications. He spent several years as a writer and editor for two news services before becoming the editor of a legal publication and managing editor of a trade magazine that covered the commercial facilities market.