At The Food Institute's (Elmwood Park, N.J.) Food Labeling Seminar held during March in Newark, N.J., Robert Hahn of Olsson Frank & Weeda PC (Washington) explained that there likely will be leniency with this type of labeling through the first six months (after January 2006, when trans fat labeling is required). However, attendees said some major retailer chains were threatening to take products off the shelf if trans fat is not declared--and declared in a way that actually exceeds the FDA requirement in some cases. For example, members of the audience explained that some supermarkets are insisting on trans fat declarations appearing as a separate line item within the Nutrition Facts box--even if the label is fully compliant with a shortened or simplified format that qualifies either to omit trans altogether or list it as part of a “Not a significant source of” footnote--and vowing to discontinue products unless they meet this additional self-imposed measure.
Trans fat labeling on meat and poultry products, though the regulations only apply to FDA-amenable items, has become another industry expectation with a limiting twist; trans fat databases for meat and poultry are a work in progress. The Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a guidance document, has not yet implemented formal rulemaking about trans fat declarations for foods under its jurisdiction.