McLEAN, Va. -- The American Frozen Food Institute here is seeking to curb international efforts that further regulate the labeling of food products already considered safe by U.S. federal regulatory agencies.
The new harmonization proposal, which would require food products to list every chemical ingredient in the same way that containers carrying actual chemicals must do, would force food manufacturers to relabel all their products.
Moreover, they would have to list the amount of food additives and pesticide residues that have already been deemed safe by federal regulatory agencies.
According to the AFFI, the harmonization proposal goes beyond the scope of a 1992 international agreement intended to ensure the safe transport and use of chemicals. Garfield stressed that food products should not be subject to the classification and labeling requirements intended for bulk chemicals.