"What info is required on my label?"
Thursday, August 29, 2019 1:32 PM
One thing to think about when designing your label is what information is required by law to be present on your container label. Whether it’s consumable, topical skin product, chemical, there will usually be guidelines provided from various sources. Here we’re going to try and provide information and links to different agencies so that you’ll have a place to start looking.
Your product label is the first thing that your customers will see on your particular product. If the information on your label is wrong, has missing information, is found to have untruthful or misleading claims you may liable for costly fines and penalties. The FDA and FTC post all of the regulations and requirements for consumer labeling. Having a product description, business name and location, net contents, function and ingredient claims, among others are some of the things regulated.
You can find out more about each agency below.
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) handle all of the regulations regarding food and beverages.
Get all of the information about their requirements here:
FDA - U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Food Ingredients & Packaging
The Federal Trade Commissions mission statment is “Protecting America’s Consumers”. The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act was passed in 1967 and has undergone a number of revisions. The most recent amendment was passed in September 2015.
Basic Requirements: The FPLA requires each package of household "consumer commodities" that is included in the coverage of the FPLA to bear a label on which there is:
a statement identifying the commodity, e.g., detergent, sponges, etc.;
the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor;
and the net quantity of contents in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count (measurement must be in both metric and inch/pound units).
Purpose of the Act: The FPLA is designed to facilitate value comparisons and to prevent unfair or deceptive packaging and labeling of many household "consumer commodities."
You can find the full law here:
Fair Packaging and Labeling Act