Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturers NAICS 311991

May 30, 2025 - New Labeling Rules

• The Food and Drug Administration is requiring new labeling requirements for food manufacturers, Food Manufacturing reports. Two new rules – the final "Food Labeling: Nutrient Content Claims; Definition of Term 'Healthy'" and the still-to-be finalized Front-of-Package (FOP) nutrition label – are opportunities for fruit and vegetable manufacturers to tout the healthfulness of their products. As of April, manufacturers could voluntarily use the "Healthy" claim on packaging if the product contains a certain amount of food from at least one food group/subgroup such as fruits and vegetables, as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and it adheres to specified saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars limits. The compliance date is February 2028. The FOP nutrition label (aka "Nutrition Info box) proposed in January would provide information on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars by showing if the food has low, medium, or high levels of these nutrients.
• Grocery prices fell in April for the first time this year, posting their biggest drop since 2020, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The consumer price index (CPI) for food fell 0.1% in April as the food-at-home index decreased 0.4% and the food-away-from-home index rose 0.4% over the month. Five of the six major grocery store group indexes dropped, led by a 12.7% decrease in egg prices. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs declined 1.6% in April after recent increases. Nonalcoholic beverages was the only category that saw an increase, rising 0.7%. However, the impact of import tariffs has largely yet to be felt by shoppers, 57% of whom say they’re very or extremely concerned about tariffs and their potential impact on food costs, according to US Grocery Shopper Trends 2025 by FM.

• A new study has found widespread human exposure to thousands of chemicals used in food packaging, Food Manufacturing reports. The study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, identified over 3,600 chemicals used in food packaging and other food contact chemicals (FCCs) that have been found in human urine, blood, and breast milk and reveals significant gaps in biomonitoring and toxicity data. “Our research establishes a link between food contact chemicals, exposure, and human health,” said Dr. Birgit Geueke, adding, “It also highlights those chemicals that have been overlooked in biomonitoring studies so far.” FCCs include PFAS (aka “forever chemicals”), which are facing increased scrutiny and regulation. Food companies are beginning to adopt PFAS-free packaging alternatives (like clay-coated paper, biowax, bamboo, and seaweed-based materials) to reduce financial and reputational risks as regulations tighten, Food Industry Executive reports.
• Food manufacturers and grocery stores have an additional 30 months to comply with the Food Traceability Rule, Refrigerated & Frozen Foods reports. The rule sets requirements for additional traceability records for certain foods and establishes new traceability recordkeeping requirements for persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods on the Food Traceability List, which includes produce and soft cheeses. It’s meant to allow for faster identification and removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths. In a March statement the Food and Drug Administration said it doesn’t intend to amend the requirements of the final rule but is extending the compliance date – originally set for January, 2026. The agency said the delay will give covered entities the additional time necessary to ensure complete coordination across the supply chain to fully implement the final rule’s requirements. Companies had expressed concern about meeting the 2026 deadline.