inStorebuyer - September 2011 - 3

editor’snote
SEP 11 | VOL 7 | ISSUE 7
INSIGHT FOR BUSINESS ON THE RISE

SALES STAFF
Troy Ashby Associate Publisher/Sales Lily O’Kane Classified Sales Representative

PUBLISHING STAFF
Charles S. Sosland Chairman L. Joshua Sosland Vice-chairman Mark Sabo President & Publishing Director John Sonderegger Publisher Melanie Hepperly Vice-President & Chief Financial Officer Don Keating Audience Development Director Sadowna Conarroe Design Services Manager Steve Piatt Classified Designer Dana Holt Manager of Directories & Databases Carrie Fluegge Director of On-line Advertising & Promotions Jon Hall Director of e-Business Nora Wages Advertising Manager Sharon Alexander Advertising Materials Coordinator Marj Potts Digital Systems Analyst Becky White Manager of Advertising Design Judy Arnone Circulation Manager Tare Torres Promotions Manager

FDA is on Wrong Track
Two regulatory issues taking front and center are nutrition labeling and food safety. Let’s first examine the Food and Drug Administration’s controversial proposal on food labeling. The Food Marketing Institute recently provided comments to the FDA on its proposal to require restaurants and “similar retail food establishments” that are part of a chain of 20 or more locations doing business under the same name to provide calorie and nutrition information for standard menu items. The FMI stated that, under this proposal, some members expect to be required to label thousands of “restaurant-type” foods on a companywide basis. The FMI letter continues, “If FDA determines that any aspect of the statute is applicable in supermarket environments, FMI believes the Agency should give the supermarket industry at least 24 months to comply following publication of the final rule.” The FMI is correct in pointing out the seriousness of this issue. The supermarket industry has come a long way in a short time to provide consumers with restaurant-type foods in a supermarket environment. If passed, the FDA rule would disrupt many of these gains. More costly regulations are not the solution. The same can be said for the FDA’s move to strengthen preventative controls within the new Food Safety Modernization Act. The Produce Marketing Association recently responded to the FDA’s request for comments on preventative controls for food facilities, writing “Industry members of every size and at every level in the supply chain are committed to food safety and share FDA’s focus on prevention. Because variability in size and operational practices present different risk profiles, one size preventive controls do not fit all.” Both regulatory issues are serious, and the food industry must take actions to ensure the safety of food throughout the supply chain. But the FDA cannot take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to regulating the food industry. These issues are far too complex. John Unrein junrein@sosland.com

INSTORE BUYER (ISSN 1554-348x) Volume 7, issue 7 is published 9 times a year, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Dec by Sosland Publishing Co., 4800 Main Street, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64112. Canada Post International Publications Mail (Canada Distribution) Sales Agreement Number 40015261. Send returns (Canada) to Bleuchip International, P Box 25542, London, ON, .O. N6C 6B2. Printed in the USA. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, MO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to INSTORE BUYER, PO Box 324, Congers, NY 10920-0324. © Sosland Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. INSTORE BUYER assumes no responsibility for the validity of claims in items reported. Sosland Publishing Co. is a division of Sosland Companies. Inc.

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| inStorebuyer | September 2011 | 3 |

inStorebuyer - September 2011

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