Food Labeling
Overview
Governmental intervention in food labeling typically aims at improving human health and safety, supporting domestic agricultural and food manufacturing industries, and averting international trade disputes. Pursuant to the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and its amendments, food labeling addresses nutritional information and is required for most prepared foods, such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, snacks, desserts, drinks, etc., whereas nutrition labeling for raw produce (fruits and vegetables) and fish is voluntary. Read the full overview
Note: Resources are listed alphabetically.
Major Statutes
Agricultural Marketing Act, 7 U.S.C. §§ 1621-1638
Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act, 16 U.S.C. § 1385
Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1451-1461
Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education & Research (Faster) Act, 21 U.S.C. § 321(qq)(1)
Federal Alcohol Administration Act, 27 U.S.C. §§ 201-219a
Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 301-399
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, 21 U.S.C § 343(w)
Federal Meat Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 606-695
Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, 21 U.S.C. § 343(q)
Poultry and Poultry Products Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 451-472
Regulations
Federal Register Rules Open for Comment
Food Additives, 21 C.F.R. Parts 170-199
Food for Human Consumption, 21 C.F.R. Parts 100-190
Rule implementing the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, 16 C.F.R. Parts 500-503
General FDA Dietary Supplement Regulations, 21 C.F.R. Part 190
General Regulations for the Enforcement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 C.F.R. Parts 1-99
General Regulations for the Food Safety and Inspection Service, 9 C.F.R. Parts 300-381
Inspection of Fish, 9 C.F.R. 530-561
Inspection of Eggs, 9 C.F.R. 590-592
Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act, 9 C.F.R. 412-500
National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, 7 CFR 66
Case Law
Case Law Index for Food Labeling
Administrative Law Decisions
FDA Dockets Management
Federal Trade Commission Actions
USDA Office of the Administrative Law Judges
USDA National Appeals Division
USDA Judicial Officer’s Decisions
Center Research Publications
Issue Brief: The Regulation of Cell-Cultured Meat (Rollins, Rumley 2019)
Plant Based “Milk” Labeling (Barker, Rumley, 2018)
Issue Brief: Petition for Policy Change in FSIS’ “Product of U.S.A.” Label (Lizano, Rumley)
Cattle Traceability: Potential Legal Implications (Rumley & Dowell)
State-Specific Direct Marketing Business Guides (National AgLaw Center & U. IL @Urbana)
Food Labeling for Specialty Crop Producers (E. Rumley, 2012)
Non-GMO Labeling (E. and R. Rumley, 2012)
Legal and Business Guide for Specialty Crop Producers (National AgLaw Center & U. AR Division of Agriculture, 2011)
State-Level Catfish Labeling Laws (Springsteen, 2008)
United States Food Law Update II (Roberts, 2006)
United States Food Law Update (Roberts & Alsbrook, 2005)
European Union Food Law Update II (Coutrelis, 2006)
European Union Food Law Update (Coutrelis, 2005)
Congressional Research Service Reports
Reports– published and made available by CRS beginning in 2017
Subjects- published by CRS and made available by NALC until 2018:
Biotechnology
Animal Agriculture
Food Safety
Agricultural Law Bibliography
Introduction | Keyword Search | Browse Categories
Legal publications on Food Labeling:
Biotechnology
Food and Drug Law
Fruits and Vegetables – Perishable Agricultural Commodities
Pesticides, Herbicides, Insecticides, Fungicides, Fertilizers
Reference Resources
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
Bioengineered Disclosure
Grades and Standards
Selling Food to USDA
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) Registry Database
Getting Started in the Beer Industry
Getting Started in the Distilled Spirits Industry
Getting Started in the Wine Industry
Labeling Procedures
Economic Research Service (ERS)
Food Labeling
The Economics of Food Labeling
Consumer Information and Labeling
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Dietary Supplements: An Advertising Guide for Industry
Fair Packaging and Labeling Act
FTC Health & Fitness Labeling
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Center for Veterinary Medicine: Pet Foods
CFSAN Consumer Behavior Research
Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label
Draft Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not Been Derived from Genetically Engineered Plants
Food Ingredients & Packaging
Food Labeling & Nutrition
Food Labeling Guide
Guidance for Industry: A Food Labeling Guide
Label Claims for Food & Dietary Supplements
Qualified Health Claims
Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
A Guide to Federal Food Labeling Requirements for Meat, Poultry and Egg Products (2007)
Claims Guidance
Compliance Guideline for Label Approval 2020
Ingredients Guidance
Label Submission and Approval System
Labeling & Label Approval
Labeling Guideline on Documentation Needed to Substantiate Animal Raising Claims for Label Submission December 2019
Other Federal Resources
Child Nutrition Labeling
National Agricultural Library Food and Nutrition Information Center (NAL)
Food Labeling Topic Page (NAL)
What’s In The Foods You Eat Search Tool (Agricultural Research Service)
FDA Needs to Better Leverage Resources, Improve Oversight, and Effectively Use Available Data to Help Consumers Select Healthy Foods (GAO-08-597)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S. Department of Commerce)
Marketplace Assessment – Metric Labeling on Packages in Retail Stores
International Resources
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Food Labelling
Nutrition
Ecolabelling and Fisheries Guidelines
Labeling to Communicate
World Health Organization (WHO)
Nutrition Labels and Health Claims: The Global Regulatory Environment
Front-of-Package Labeling
Food Safety
Nutrition
World Trade Organization (WTO)
Trade and Food Standards
Nutrition labelling: A policy measure for promoting healthy diets
Dispute Settlement Gateway
Geographical Indications
TRIPS Agreement
WTO Publications
Regulation Concerning the Traceability and Labeling of Genetically Modified Organisms
Labelling & Nutrition
Consumers
Publications
Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Litigation 2020 Year in Review
Agricultural and Food Law – Food Labeling and Biotechnology – The Food Fight over Labeling Genetically Engineered Foods and a Natural Solution to Protect Agricultural Biotechnology in the Natural State (Branscum 2017)
GMO Litigation (Laney, 2016)
Economics of Food Labeling (Golan et al. 2001)Food Labeling: Toward National Uniformity (National Academies Press, 1992)
Additional Resources
Food and Drug Law Institute
State Laws for School Snack Food and Beverages
U.S. Food Waste Policy Finder