Nutrition facts label
Additionally, there is a requirement for ingredients to be listed in order from highest to lowest quantity, according to their weight.
The label was mandated for most food products under the provisions of the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), per the recommendations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It was one of several controversial actions taken during the tenure of FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler. The law required food companies to begin using the new food label on packaged foods beginning May 8, 1994. (Meat and poultry products were not covered by NLEA, though the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed similar regulations for voluntary labeling of raw meat and poultry.) Foods labeled before that day could use the old label. This appeared on all products in 1995. The old label was titled "Nutrition Information Per Serving" or simply, "Nutrition Information".
Dietary Supplements (database)
Dietary supplements were first regulated in by the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938. In 1941 the United States Food and Drug Administration proferred definitions for dietary supplementary foods which included minerals, vitamins and other specialized supplements. In the early 1970s the FDA tried to restrict the definition of dietary supplements to essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. However, as the 1970s progressed, a 1974 court decision and legislation that passed in 1976 would not allow such action. In 1994, against recommendations from the FDA, the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) was passed. This act defined dietary supplements, made safety a matter of regulation, stated the requirements for approved third party literature, and regulated label content.