Update 07/09/2009

• Packaging Material
• Labeling
• Perishable Products
• Nutritional Labeling
• Universal Product Code

Packaging Material

The packaging material must protect the product from contamination and must NOT impart any toxic or deleterious substance to the processed food product.

Product labels must include the following information:

• Name and place of business for the manufacturer, packer, or distributor;
• Accurate statement of the quantity of the contents by weight;
• Product identity (common or usual name of the food);
• Ingredient list (when processed food is fabricated from two or more ingredients) of each ingredient in descending order of predominance. Food products that include spices, flavorings and colorings as ingredients may designate these products as spices, flavorings and coloring on the ingredient list.

NOTE: It is particularly important to label those ingredients that cause allergenic reactions in certain individuals. The following common food allergens would prompt product recalls if not declared as ingredients: Peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, crab, shrimp, lobster, milk, soybeans, wheat, sulfites, yellow dye #5.

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Perishable Products

Perishable packaged food products with a projected shelf life of thirty (30) days or less must state the pull date on the package label. The pull date must be stated in day and month, and in a style and format that is readily decipherable by consumers. Also, when products require refrigeration either before or after opening, such information must be on the label.

The Nutritional Education and Labeling Act requires specific information regarding the nutritional value of the processed food product on the product label. Contact the United States Food and Drug Association in Bothell, WA (425) 486-8788 to obtain more information or to learn if you are exempt from this labeling requirement.

The Universal Product Code (UPC) is an eleven-digit numeric code that identifies a retail consumer package. The symbol can be read by a computer scanner at check stands and allows for ease in checkout, accurate pricing, and collection of sales data.

Although the UPC program is voluntary, a manufacturer's number assignment can only be obtained through membership in the Uniform Code Council. Sales volume determines cost of the membership.

Contact
Uniform Code Council, Inc.
8163 Old Yankee Road, Suite J
Dayton, OH 45458
(937) 435-3870