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Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. Food and Drugs § 21.502.5 General principles

Current as of January 02, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) The common or usual name of a food, which may be a coined term, shall accurately identify or describe, in as simple and direct terms as possible, the basic nature of the food or its characterizing properties or ingredients. The name shall be uniform among all identical or similar products and may not be confusingly similar to the name of any other food that is not reasonably encompassed within the same name. Each class or subclass of food shall be given its own common or usual name that states, in clear terms, what it is in a way that distinguishes it from different foods.

(b) The common or usual name of a food shall include the percentage(s) of any characterizing ingredient(s) or component(s) when the proportion of such ingredient(s) or component(s) in the food has a material bearing on price or consumer acceptance or when the labeling or the appearance of the food may otherwise create an erroneous impression that such ingredient(s) or component(s) is present in an amount greater than is actually the case. The following requirements shall apply unless modified by a specific regulation in this part.

(1) The percentage of a characterizing ingredient or component shall be declared on the basis of its quantity in the finished product (i.e., weight/weight in the case of solids, or volume/volume in the case of liquids).

(2) The percentage of a characterizing ingredient or component shall be declared by the words “containing (or contains) ____ percent (or %) ____” or “____ percent (or %) ____” with the first blank filled in with the percentage expressed as a whole number not greater than the actual percentage of the ingredient or component named and the second blank filled in with the common or usual name of the ingredient or component. The word “containing” (or “contains”), when used, shall appear on a line immediately below the part of the common or usual name of the food required by paragraph (a) of this section. For each characterizing ingredient or component, the words “____ percent (or %) ____” shall appear following or directly below the word “containing” (or “contains”), or directly below the part of the common or usual name of the food required by paragraph (a) of this section when the word “containing” (or “contains”) is not used, in easily legible boldface print or type in distinct contrast to other printed or graphic matter, and in a height not less than the larger of the following alternatives:

(i) Not less than one-sixteenth inch in height on packages having a principal display panel with an area of 5 square inches or less and not less than one-eighth inch in height if the area of the principal display panel is greater than 5 square inches;  or

(ii) Not less than one-half the height of the largest type appearing in the part of the common or usual name of the food required by paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) The common or usual name of a food shall include a statement of the presence or absence of any characterizing ingredient(s) or component(s) and/or the need for the user to add any characterizing ingredient(s) or component(s) when the presence or absence of such ingredient(s) or component(s) in the food has a material bearing on price or consumer acceptance or when the labeling or the appearance of the food may otherwise create an erroneous impression that such ingredient(s) or component(s) is present when it is not, and consumers may otherwise be misled about the presence or absence of the ingredient(s) or component(s) in the food. The following requirements shall apply unless modified by a specific regulation in this part.

(1) The presence or absence of a characterizing ingredient or component shall be declared by the words “containing (or contains) ________” or “containing (or contains) ________” or “no ________” or “does not contain ________,” with the blank being filled in with the common or usual name of the ingredient or component.

(2) The need for the user of a food to add any characterizing ingredient(s) or component(s) shall be declared by an appropriate informative statement.

(3) The statement(s) required under paragraph (c)(1) and/or (2) of this section shall appear following or directly below the part of the common or usual name of the food required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, in easily legible boldface print or type in distinct contrast to other printed or graphic matter, and in a height not less than the larger of the alternatives established under paragraph (b)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section.

(d) A common or usual name of a food may be established by common usage or by establishment of a regulation in this part, in a standard of identity, or in other regulations in this chapter.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. Food and Drugs § 21.502.5 General principles - last updated January 02, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/cfr/title-21-food-and-drugs/cfr-sect-21-502-5/

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