Food Program Guidances Under Development - June 2021

The commenter expresses support for the FDA's initiative to create guidance documents for the food and dietary supplement industry, noting that it provides transparency and proactive planning. They suggest that the FDA include mid-year updates with stakeholder engagement to improve the process.

Kim Nelson, an individual with food allergies, expresses concern over the lack of mandatory food allergy labeling on medications. The commenter urges the FDA to implement such labeling to improve patient safety, but the request is unrelated to the specific "Food Program Guidances" mentioned in the document context.

A private individual is expressing strong opposition to the FDA's decision to allow plant-based products to be labeled as "milk." The commenter argues that this labeling is deceptive to consumers and demands a complete ban on the term or much stricter regulations to clarify that plant-based "milks" are not nutritionally equivalent to animal milk.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) opposes the proposed FDA guidance, arguing that current naming conventions for plant-based milk and meat alternatives are truthful and non-misleading. They contend that imposing more prescriptive labeling requirements would be protectionist, burden plant-based producers, and potentially increase consumer confusion.

A parent of a child with Celiac Disease opposes the draft guidance, arguing that it fails to provide adequate protection for consumers. The commenter advocates for mandatory labeling of barley and rye to ensure the safety of the gluten-free community.

The National Chicken Council (NCC) is requesting that the FDA and FSIS issue clear guidance and prioritize enforcement to prevent plant-based protein products from being marketed as "chicken." They argue that such labeling is misleading to consumers, violates existing food safety regulations, and creates an unfair competitive environment for the conventional poultry industry.

The Plant Based Foods Association opposes the FDA's proposed guidance to restrict the use of dairy-related terms in the labeling of plant-based milk alternatives. They argue that such restrictions would stifle innovation, are not necessary to prevent consumer confusion, and would likely face legal challenges under the First Amendment.

A food biochemist and mother of a child with severe allergies supports the progress of the FASTER Act but argues that the proposed guidance needs to address cross-contamination labeling. She highlights the difficulty of tracking shared equipment and requests more stringent requirements for manufacturers to disclose these risks.