The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that January 1, 2020, will be the uniform compliance date for food labeling regulations that are issued in calendar years 2017 and 2018. This action does not change existing requirements for compliance dates contained in final rules published before January 1, 2017.

The FDA issues regulations that sometimes require changes in the labeling of food. Since 1996, the agency has periodically announced uniform compliance dates for new food labeling requirements to minimize the economic impact on the food industry of having to respond separately to each change. Occasionally the FDA sets specific compliance dates other than the uniform compliance date when appropriate. For example, the compliance date for the Revision of the Nutrition Facts and Supplements Facts Labels, issued in May 2016, is July 26, 2018, which is more time than would have been permitted under a uniform compliance date.

All food products subject to the January 1, 2020, compliance date must comply with the appropriate regulations when initially introduced into interstate commerce on or after January 1, 2020.