On December 30th, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set January 1, 2028, as the uniform compliance date for final food labelling regulations issued between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2026. This policy ensures consistency and minimizes the economic impact on the food industry by aligning compliance dates for multiple labelling changes. The US FDA Food Labelling Guidelines include the following key points:
- Existing Rules Unaffected: Regulations published before January 1, 2025, retain their original compliance dates.
- Industry Preparation: The uniform compliance date provides adequate time for companies to manage existing label inventories and create new labelling materials in an orderly, cost-effective way.
- Encouraged Early Compliance: While the FDA urges companies to comply with new labelling rules as soon as possible, all products introduced into interstate commerce on or after January 1, 2028, must meet the updated requirements.
The FDA may assign a different compliance date for specific food labelling regulations if special circumstances warrant it. In such cases, the compliance date will be detailed in the final rule.
This approach helps balance regulatory compliance with operational flexibility, supporting efficient transitions for the food industry.
Read the Labelling Uniform Compliance here