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​Dietary Fiber: Impact of FDA’s Proposed Changes to the Nutrition Facts Panel

Broadcast Date: June 27, 2014


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Webinar Summary

The Dietary Fiber and Other Carbohydrates Approved Methods Technical Committee chairs Jon DeVries, Medallion Laboratories/General Mills, and Stuart Craig, DuPont, provide an update to Cereals & Grains Association members on the FDA efforts to update food package labeling and to clarify the definition of dietary fiber as part of that effort. The discussion covers the background to the CODEX dietary fiber definition and associated analytical methods, the proposed labeling regulations, and Cereals & Grains Association comments to FDA, including suggested harmonization to the current Canadian regulations. A discussion of the physiological effects is included. There is an open discussion at the end of the program.

The U.S. FDA's proposed labeling rules that refer to dietary fiber definitions and measurement were the topic of Cereals & Grains Association's first in a new series of webinars. Expert scientists Dr. Jonathon DeVries (Medallion Labs, General Mills) and Dr. Stuart Craig (DuPont Nutrition and Health), who are co-chairs of the Cereals & Grains Dietary Fiber and Other Carbohydrates Technical Committee, led the discussion.

In the webinar, Anne Bridges (Cereals & Grains Association Technical Director) shares Cereals & Grains Association's technical background and history with dietary fiber definitions and the associated Approved Methods of analysis. Jon discusses the changes that have taken place in both the definitions and the testing methods, and Stuart discusses the corresponding changes in the understanding of the physiological effects of dietary fiber. The advances that have occurred internationally at Codex Alimentarius and within NAFTA were also discussed. Finally they shared the proposed changes in the FDA Nutrition Facts Panel, that relate to Dietary Fiber and the proposed Cereals & Grains Association comments for submission to FDA to meet the August 1, 2014, deadline. The Cereals & Grains Association comments will be available to view on our website.