Nutrition Info for Raw Fruits, Vegetables, Fish : Part 2

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 2 of 2)

For raw produce, the serving size is often an individual unit (for example, one medium orange or two stalks of celery), or a fraction of a unit (for example, one-sixth of a medium head of lettuce or one-eighteenth of a medium watermelon) — whichever is most appropriate for a particular product.

For fish, the serving size is a 3-ounce, or 85-gram, cooked weight — without added fat or seasoning.

According to Pennington, using a cooked weight is a departure from usual FDA practice, which is to require food labels to state a serving size based on a measurement of the food as purchased. In the case of raw fish, however, FDA officials feared that the word "raw" on the label might lead some consumers to conclude that eating raw fish is OK, when in fact it generally is not.

"We certainly don't want to suggest that eating raw fish is a safe thing to do," she said.

While some types of shellfish have been customarily eaten raw, and sushi and sushimi are considered by some to be raw fish delicacies, there are dangers of food-borne illness from eating raw fish. In particular, people with liver diseases, certain gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes mellitus, or weakened immune systems are advised not to eat raw molluscan shellfish, such as oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops. And sushi and sushimi must be commercially frozen to kill any parasites.

Presenting Nutrition Information

Equally important as the type of information provided is the manner in which it is conveyed. Unlike processed, prepackaged food, raw produce and fish do not lend themselves well to individual labeling.

So FDA is allowing retailers to display nutrition information on large placards or to list it in consumer pamphlets or brochures — provided the information is in the appropriate food department for easy consumer access. If they want, retailers may place nutrition information on individual food wrappers or, when appropriate, on stickers affixed to the outside of a food (for example, bananas).

One trade organization, the Food Marketing Institute, is making the job easier for retailers. It offers brochures, charts and posters that contain all the necessary information. The materials were developed as part of the Nutri-Facts program, a point-of-purchase nutrition information project begun in 1985 and now sponsored by FMI and nine other industry trade groups. (See inside back covers of the May 1992 through November 1992 FDA Consumer.)

Live demonstrations, and videotapes and other electronic means also may be used to convey nutrition information, but only as adjuncts to the print pieces. In FDA's view, non-print media are less likely than print media to be dependably available. Breakdown of videotape players, for example, may make the information unavailable for any length of time.

Other means of conveying nutrition information for these foods may exist, and, according to Pennington, FDA would like to see retailers and others identify them.

"We encourage retailers to experiment in finding ways that best convey nutrition information to consumers," she said. "And we hope that they share their findings with us."

Checking for Compliance

FDA plans to keep tabs on how well food retailers comply with the voluntary guidelines. Under the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, the program can remain voluntary only as long as there is "substantial compliance."

FDA defines "substantial" as at least 60 percent of a nationwide representative sample of grocery stores. Grocers are considered in compliance if at least 90 percent of the 20 most commonly eaten raw fish and at least 90 percent of the 40 most commonly eaten types of raw produce sold in their stores are properly labeled. Thus, retailers have to provide nutrition information for only those most commonly eaten fruits, vegetables and fish that they sell in their stores.

FDA will check compliance by surveying every two years a sample of 2,000 U.S. food stores that sell produce or raw fish. Results of the first survey, which began in late 1992, will be issued in an FDA report due to Congress in May 1993.

If substantial compliance is found, the program will continue on a voluntary basis. But if FDA determines that compliance is not substantial, it will issue new regulations mandating point-of-purchase nutrition information for raw fruits, vegetables and fish.

In addition, at least every two years, FDA will revise and publish in the Federal Register nutrition labeling data for the 20 most frequently eaten raw fruits, vegetables and fish.

At the same time, it will conduct a survey of food retailers and issue a report to Congress on the status of the voluntary program.

At least one food retailer hopes to be part of those proceedings — D'Agostino Supermarkets, where, according to spokeswoman Moore, voluntary in-store nutrition information programs are in place in all 25 of its chain stores.

"I certainly hope [FDA comes] to D'Agostino," she said. "Because we're more than ready."

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.