January 2025 - Vol. 25, No. 1
Happy New Year, everyone! We’re feeling energized to tackle 2025 and to take on the new adventures, opportunities, and challenges that await. We hope you're feeling similarly! Sticking with tradition, in our first newsletter of the year we look back on our most popular Reader Q+As from the previous year. We’re also checking in with our Insiders community and highlighting important regulatory news - including FDA's updated rule for "healthy" claims.
Wishing you a great start to the new year!
In this issue:
- Top Q+As from 2024
- The Inside Scoop
- Keeping You Current
Warmly,
Melissa Grzybowski, President, Food Consulting Company
"What I love about Food Label News are the pertinent updates happening in the regulatory and policy space combined with a deeper dive on a topic that I may not have thought about in a while. It’s a publication I always open as soon as it arrives!"
- Annette Maggi, President, Annette Maggi & Associates, Inc.
Feature Article
Top Q+As from 2024
Answering our readers’ questions is a great way for us to ensure we’re delivering the information our readers are seeking. Each January, we take a look back on some of our most popular Q+As from the past year. Whether you’re a recent Food Label News subscriber and these questions are new to you or these submissions ring a bell, we hope you learn something new!
Have a food labeling question to add to our queue? Please email us. We would love to hear from you!
Our 2024 Highlight Reel:
Q: I heard that I need a Constancia to import my food product into Mexico. What does this entail?
A: Yes, that is correct. To sell an imported retail food product in Mexico, the label must go through a formal review process and receive a Constancia de Conformidad (Statement of Compliance). This document, often referred to as a Constancia, certifies that the label has been reviewed by a government-approved, certified office called a verification unit.
A Constancia must be obtained before the product can enter the country, as the document will be reviewed by Mexican customs officers. The certification may be obtained by either the exporter or importer and can be used repeatedly by different importers as long as the product and product label remain unchanged. All imported foods labeled for retail sale require a Constancia. Additionally, some large retailers require all products sold in their Mexico locations to obtain this certification, even if the food is produced in Mexico.
Q: We sell our food products in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. How do we label sulfiting agents that are added to our products as preservatives?
