The announcement detailed that written regulations now allow for higher maximum usage levels of acacia gum permitted in products.

Products containing trans fats are already increasingly hard to find in grocery stores and restaurant menus amid widespread agreement about the risks they pose to public health.

The GRAS approval is for food applications and infant formulas.

As a result of this approval, food manufacturers will now be able to communicate that whole grains and whole grain-containing foods which meet certain nutrient requirements outlined by the FDA may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Food manufacturers will have a year after the rule is published to bring their labels into compliance with the new requirements.

In the fierce competition for consumer dollars between companies in the food, beverage and supplement areas, trying to distinguish a product line from a slew of competing products often leads to aggressive labeling and marketing campaigns. Claim formulation is an integral part of labeling and advertising strategies.

Food safety is top of mind for consumers, and regulations are striving to assuage those concerns.

The FDA is implementing the most sweeping reforms of the nation’s food safety rules in over 70 years, which has led to an influx of comments from the industry and the public. Through mid-January, FDA had already received 614 comments on various aspects of the proposed regulations, according to The Food Institute.

There’s no doubt regulatory agencies have ramped up the level of scrutiny given to food and beverage companies in the U.S. over the last several years. In 2011, the number of inspections by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) increased dramatically as the agency sought to determine whether industry companies were in compliance with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs).

While the FDA continues to hem and haw on a standard for gluten-free, new products touting their lack continue to come to market.