CHAPTER 39 —FAIR PACKAGING AND LABELING PROGRAM
§1451. Congressional declaration of policy
Informed consumers are essential to the fair and efficient functioning of a free market economy. Packages and their labels should enable consumers to obtain accurate information as to the quantity of the contents and should facilitate value comparisons. Therefore, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress to assist consumers and manufacturers in reaching these goals in the marketing of consumer goods.
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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Short Title
§1452. Unfair and deceptive packaging and labeling; scope of prohibition
(a) Nonconforming labels
It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in the packaging or labeling of any consumer commodity (as defined in this chapter) for distribution in commerce, or for any person (other than a common carrier for hire, a contract carrier for hire, or a freight forwarder for hire) engaged in the distribution in commerce of any packaged or labeled consumer commodity, to distribute or to cause to be distributed in commerce any such commodity if such commodity is contained in a package, or if there is affixed to that commodity a label, which does not conform to the provisions of this chapter and of regulations promulgated under the authority of this chapter.
(b) Exemptions
The prohibition contained in subsection (a) shall not apply to persons engaged in business as wholesale or retail distributors of consumer commodities except to the extent that such persons (1) are engaged in the packaging or labeling of such commodities, or (2) prescribe or specify by any means the manner in which such commodities are packaged or labeled.
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§1453. Requirements of labeling; placement, form, and contents of statement of quantity; supplemental statement of quantity
(a) Contents of label
No person subject to the prohibition contained in
(1) The commodity shall bear a label specifying the identity of the commodity and the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor;
(2) The net quantity of contents (in terms of weight or mass, measure, or numerical count) shall be separately and accurately stated in a uniform location upon the principal display panel of that label, using the most appropriate units of both the customary inch/pound system of measure, as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, and, except as provided in paragraph (3)(A)(ii) or paragraph (6) of this subsection, the SI metric system;
(3) The separate label statement of net quantity of contents appearing upon or affixed to any package—
(A)(i) if on a package labeled in terms of weight, shall be expressed in pounds, with any remainder in terms of ounces or common or decimal fractions of the pound; or in the case of liquid measure, in the largest whole unit (quarts, quarts and pints, or pints, as appropriate) with any remainder in terms of fluid ounces or common or decimal fractions of the pint or quart;
(ii) if on a random package, may be expressed in terms of pounds and decimal fractions of the pound carried out to not more than three decimal places and is not required to, but may, include a statement in terms of the SI metric system carried out to not more than three decimal places;
(iii) if on a package labeled in terms of linear measure, shall be expressed in terms of the largest whole unit (yards, yards and feet, or feet, as appropriate) with any remainder in terms of inches or common or decimal fractions of the foot or yard;
(iv) if on a package labeled in terms of measure of area, shall be expressed in terms of the largest whole square unit (square yards, square yards and square feet, or square feet, as appropriate) with any remainder in terms of square inches or common or decimal fractions of the square foot or square yard;
(B) shall appear in conspicuous and easily legible type in distinct contrast (by topography, layout, color, embossing, or molding) with other matter on the package;
(C) shall contain letters or numerals in a type size which shall be (i) established in relationship to the area of the principal display panel of the package, and (ii) uniform for all packages of substantially the same size; and
(D) shall be so placed that the lines of printed matter included in that statement are generally parallel to the base on which the package rests as it is designed to be displayed; and
(4) The label of any package of a consumer commodity which bears a representation as to the number of servings of such commodity contained in such package shall bear a statement of the net quantity (in terms of weight or mass, measure, or numerical count) of each such serving.
(5) For purposes of paragraph (3)(A)(ii) of this subsection the term "random package" means a package which is one of a lot, shipment, or delivery of packages of the same consumer commodity with varying weights or masses, that is, packages with no fixed weight or mass pattern.
(6) The requirement of paragraph (2) that the statement of net quantity of contents include a statement in terms of the SI metric system shall not apply to foods that are packaged at the retail store level.
(b) Supplemental statements
No person subject to the prohibition contained in
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Editorial Notes
Amendments
1992—
Subsec. (a)(2).
Subsec. (a)(3)(A)(i).
Subsec. (a)(3)(A)(ii).
Subsec. (a)(3)(A)(iii).
Subsec. (a)(3)(A)(iv).
Subsec. (a)(4).
Subsec. (a)(5).
Subsec. (a)(6).
Subsec. (b).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1992 Amendments
Section 107(b) of
§1454. Rules and regulations
(a) Promulgating authority
The authority to promulgate regulations under this chapter is vested in (A) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to hereinafter as the "Secretary") with respect to any consumer commodity which is a food, drug, device, or cosmetic, as each such term is defined by
(b) Exemption of commodities from regulations
If the promulgating authority specified in this section finds that, because of the nature, form, or quantity of a particular consumer commodity, or for other good and sufficient reasons, full compliance with all the requirements otherwise applicable under
(c) Scope of additional regulations
Whenever the promulgating authority determines that regulations containing prohibitions or requirements other than those prescribed by
(1) establish and define standards for characterization of the size of a package enclosing any consumer commodity, which may be used to supplement the label statement of net quantity of contents of packages containing such commodity, but this paragraph shall not be construed as authorizing any limitation on the size, shape, weight or mass, dimensions, or number of packages which may be used to enclose any commodity;
(2) regulate the placement upon any package containing any commodity, or upon any label affixed to such commodity, of any printed matter stating or representing by implication that such commodity is offered for retail sale at a price lower than the ordinary and customary retail sale price or that a retail sale price advantage is accorded to purchasers thereof by reason of the size of that package or the quantity of its contents;
(3) require that the label on each package of a consumer commodity (other than one which is a food within the meaning of
(4) prevent the nonfunctional-slack-fill of packages containing consumer commodities.
For purposes of paragraph (4) of this subsection, a package shall be deemed to be nonfunctionally slack-filled if it is filled to substantially less than its capacity for reasons other than (A) protection of the contents of such package or (B) the requirements of machines used for enclosing the contents in such package.
(d) Development by manufacturers, packers, and distributors of voluntary product standards
Whenever the Secretary of Commerce determines that there is undue proliferation of the weights or masses, measures, or quantities in which any consumer commodity or reasonably comparable consumer commodities are being distributed in packages for sale at retail and such undue proliferation impairs the reasonable ability of consumers to make value comparisons with respect to such consumer commodity or commodities, he shall request manufacturers, packers, and distributors of the commodity or commodities to participate in the development of a voluntary product standard for such commodity or commodities under the procedures for the development of voluntary products standards established by the Secretary pursuant to
(e) Report and recommendations to Congress upon industry failure to develop or abide by voluntary product standards
If (1) after one year after the date on which the Secretary of Commerce first makes the request of manufacturers, packers, and distributors to participate in the development of a voluntary product standard as provided in subsection (d) of this section, he determines that such a standard will not be published pursuant to the provisions of such subsection (d), or (2) if such a standard is published and the Secretary of Commerce determines that it has not been observed, he shall promptly report such determination to the Congress with a statement of the efforts that have been made under the voluntary standards program and his recommendation as to whether Congress should enact legislation providing regulatory authority to deal with the situation in question.
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Editorial Notes
Amendments
1992—
Subsec. (c)(1).
Subsec. (d).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
"Secretary of Health and Human Services" substituted for "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare" in subsec. (a) pursuant to section 509(b) of
Effective Date of 1992 Amendment
Amendment by
§1455. Procedure for promulgation of regulations
(a) Hearings by Secretary of Health and Human Services
Regulations promulgated by the Secretary under
(b) Judicial review; hearings by Federal Trade Commission
Regulations promulgated by the Commission under
(c) Cooperation with other departments and agencies
In carrying into effect the provisions of this chapter, the Secretary and the Commission are authorized to cooperate with any department or agency of the United States, with any State, Commonwealth, or possession of the United States, and with any department, agency, or political subdivision of any such State, Commonwealth, or possession.
(d) Returnable or reusable glass containers for beverages
No regulation adopted under this chapter shall preclude the continued use of returnable or reusable glass containers for beverages in inventory or with the trade as of the effective date of this Act, nor shall any regulation under this chapter preclude the orderly disposal of packages in inventory or with the trade as of the effective date of such regulation.
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Editorial Notes
References in Text
The effective date of this Act, referred to in subsec. (d), refers to the effective date of
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
"Department of Health and Human Services" substituted for "Department of Health, Education, and Welfare" in subsec. (a), pursuant to section 509(b) of
§1456. Enforcement
(a) Misbranded consumer commodities
Any consumer commodity which is a food, drug, device, or cosmetic, as each such term is defined by section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (
(b) Unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce
Any violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, or the regulations issued pursuant to this chapter, with respect to any consumer commodity which is not a food, drug, device, or cosmetic, shall constitute an unfair or deceptive act or practice in commerce in violation of
(c) Imports
In the case of any imports into the United States of any consumer commodity covered by this chapter, the provisions of
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Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c), is act June 25, 1938, ch. 675,
§1457. Omitted
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section,
§1458. Cooperation with State authorities; transmittal of regulations to States; noninterference with existing programs
(a) A copy of each regulation promulgated under this chapter shall be transmitted promptly to the Secretary of Commerce, who shall (1) transmit copies thereof to all appropriate State officers and agencies, and (2) furnish to such State officers and agencies information and assistance to promote to the greatest practicable extent uniformity in State and Federal regulation of the labeling of consumer commodities.
(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to impair or otherwise interfere with any program carried into effect by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under other provisions of law in cooperation with State governments or agencies, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions thereof.
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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
"Secretary of Health and Human Services" substituted for "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare" in subsec. (b) pursuant to section 509(b) of
§1459. Definitions
For the purpose of this chapter—
(a) The term "consumer commodity", except as otherwise specifically provided by this subsection, means any food, drug, device, or cosmetic (as those terms are defined by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [
(1) any meat or meat product, poultry or poultry product, or tobacco or tobacco product;
(2) any commodity subject to packaging or labeling requirements imposed by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act [
(3) any drug subject to the provisions of section 503(b)(1) or 506 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [
(4) any beverage subject to or complying with packaging or labeling requirements imposed under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act [
(5) any commodity subject to the provisions of the Federal Seed Act [
(b) The term "package" means any container or wrapping in which any consumer commodity is enclosed for use in the delivery or display of that consumer commodity to retail purchasers, but does not include—
(1) shipping containers or wrappings used solely for the transportation of any consumer commodity in bulk or in quantity to manufacturers, packers, or processors, or to wholesale or retail distributors thereof;
(2) shipping containers or outer wrappings used by retailers to ship or deliver any commodity to retail customers if such containers and wrappings bear no printed matter pertaining to any particular commodity; or
(3) containers subject to the provisions of the Act of August 3, 1912 (
(c) The term "label" means any written, printed, or graphic matter affixed to any consumer commodity or affixed to or appearing upon a package containing any consumer commodity.
(d) The term "person" includes any firm, corporation, or association.
(e) The term "commerce" means (1) commerce between any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States, and any place outside thereof, and (2) commerce within the District of Columbia or within any territory or possession of the United States not organized with a legislative body, but shall not include exports to foreign countries.
(f) The term "principal display panel" means that part of a label that is most likely to be displayed, presented, shown, or examined under normal and customary conditions of display for retail sale.
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Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, referred to subsec. (a), is act June 25, 1938, ch. 675,
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is act June 25, 1947, ch. 125, as amended generally by
The Virus-Serum-Toxin Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is the eighth paragraph under the heading "Bureau of Animal Industry" of act Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 145,
The Federal Alcohol Administration Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(4), is act Aug. 29, 1935, ch. 814,
The Federal Seed Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(5), is act Aug. 9, 1939, ch. 615,
Amendments
1968—Subsec. (b)(3).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1968 Amendment
Amendment by
§1460. Savings provisions
Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to repeal, invalidate, or supersede—
(a) the Federal Trade Commission Act [
(b) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [
(c) the Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act [
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Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Federal Trade Commission Act, referred to in text, is act Sept. 26, 1914, ch. 311,
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, referred to in text, is act June 25, 1938, ch. 675,
The Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act, referred to in text, is
§1461. Effect upon State law
It is hereby declared that it is the express intent of Congress to supersede any and all laws of the States or political subdivisions thereof insofar as they may now or hereafter provide for the labeling of the net quantity of contents of the package of any consumer commodity covered by this chapter which are less stringent than or require information different from the requirements of