The 2006–2007 Food Label and Package Survey (FLAPS): Nutrition labeling, trans fat labeling

Abstract

Since the 1970s, the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has studied product labels from the US food supply through the Food Label and Package Survey (FLAPS). The sampling frame for the latest survey, FLAPS 2006–2007, was the ACNielsen Strategic Planner food sales database. As the newest addition to the Nutrition Facts label, this latest FLAPS included trans fat and was utilized to characterize the prevalence of foods reporting trans fat information. For this survey, FDA used a new probability-based sample design to draw a list of food products. Products were purchased from retail stores across the US, and label information was recorded to create the FLAPS 2006–2007 database. Results of initial data analyses show that an estimated 96.3% of FDA-regulated processed, packaged foods have nutrition labeling, with an additional 3.7% exempt from mandatory nutrition labeling requirements. FLAPS data show that 12% of products provide a nutrient content claim about the amount of trans fat on the principal display panel, with over 75% displaying “0 g trans fat.” FDA will continue to analyze FLAPS data as a tracking mechanism to monitor the market response to food label regulations and to support policy, regulatory, economic, and food safety decisions.