Uniform Compliance Date For Food Labeling Regulations

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is establishing January 1, 1998, as its new uniform compliance date for all food labeling regulations that are issued after the publication of this final rule and before January 1, 1997. FDA has periodically announced uniform compliance dates for new food labeling requirements to minimize the economic impact of label changes. In 1992, FDA suspended this practice pending the issuance of regulations implementing the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (the 1990 amendments). With the adoption and implementation of those regulations, FDA is reinstating its previous practice of periodically announcing, as final rules, uniform compliance dates for food labeling regulations.