ABSTRACT
Laws and regulations cover far more than labeling on package surfaces. The conceptual framework regulating foods is probably best summarized as a series of prohibitions against adulteration or misbranding. Food additives are defined as substances added to food, or, substances that, when used as intended, are reasonably expected to become components of the foods, and which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by qualified scientists. Misbranding can also mean a variety of items, best summarized as something being wrong with the product’s labeling. A product is misbranded, for example, if its labeling is false or misleading in some detail; or misrepresents the quantity of its contents; or fails to reveal material information; or contains some other defect. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDAs) primary powers for enforcing its adulteration and misbranding prohibitions, including its labeling requirements, are its powers of seizure, injunction, and criminal prosecution.
