FDA Amends Standard of Identity for Yogurts
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing a final order to modify the yogurt standard of identity final rule, published on June 9, 2021. The FDA is denying the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) request for a public hearing and is issuing a final order to modify the final rule with respect to maximum pH.
The FDA is amending the yogurt standard acidity requirement to require products to have a pH of 4.6 or lower. This will ensure the safety of yogurt, while maintaining its basic nature and essential characteristics.
The final rule became effective on April 14, 2023, and the compliance date is January 1, 2024. Additional details can be found in the Federal Register notice.
FDA Releases Draft Guidance on Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will reopen the comment period for the draft guidance entitled “Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements; Draft Guidance for Industry,” that appeared in the Federal Register on February 23, 2023.
The new deadline for comments will be determined when the reopening notice is published. The FDA is reopening the comment period in response to requests from stakeholders to allow additional time for interested persons to develop and submit comments. Comments should be submitted to Regulations.gov and identified with the docket number FDA-2023-D-0451.