Today ABA filed comments in response to FDA’s proposals revising both the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) and Serving Sizes. “These sweeping proposals would impact every packaged food product in the marketplace. It is critical that any final policy changes be based on sound science, and ABA’s comments question the science, or lack of science, behind the Agency’s NFP proposal,” said Lee Sanders, ABA Senior Vice President Government Relations and Public Affairs. “ABA’s comments were developed through extensive dialogue, the consensus process of the ABA Food Technical Regulatory Affairs and additional input from the full membership,” Ms. Sanders added.
ABA’s Nutrition Facts Panel Proposal response focuses special emphasis on the importance of science based policy and key issues for bakers including the definition of fiber; added sugar declaration and records access authority. ABA’s serving size comments focus on dual column labeling policy and reasonable RACCs that encourage innovation for bakery products.
Additionally, from an ABA sponsored packaging survey, results revealed that our bakery and packaging members would need significantly more time for changes and implementation. Therefore, both sets of comments request five years for compliance.
“Feedback from our membership was overwhelming – ABA’s collaborative process included discussions with the Retail Bakers of America, who co-signed the comments, enabling us to focus and produce strong comments that reflect the impact of the revisions on both large and small bakers,” concluded Ms. Sanders.
About the American Bakers Association:
The American Bakers Association (ABA) is the Washington D.C.-based voice of the wholesale baking industry. Since 1897, ABA has represented the interests of bakers before the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and international regulatory authorities. ABA advocates on behalf of more than 700 baking facilities and baking company suppliers. ABA members produce bread, rolls, crackers, bagels, sweet goods, tortillas and many other wholesome, nutritious, baked products for America’s families. The baking industry generates more than $102 billion in economic activity annually and employs more than 706,000 highly skilled people.
Source: American Bakers Association