Determining "fresh" in food labeling

7/25/2000- According to the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), when it comes to food labeling, the term "fresh" does not necessarily mean the same as "raw." "Fresh is a powerful term to describe foods, and it is clearly a word that conveys a strong message of product quality in the minds of consumers," said Regina Hildwine, NFPAs Senior Director of Food Labeling in Standards, in testimony delivered at a public meeting in Chicago held by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 21. The meetings purpose was to solicit input on whether the use of the term "fresh" is truthful and not misleading on foods processed with alternative technologies, and on what type of criteria FDA should use when considering use of the term with future technologies. Hildwine concluded that, "... it is appropriate for FDA to reexamine its labeling rules to accommodate new processing technologies, and perhaps to consider certain products that have come onto the market during the past decade to evaluate whether their characteristics should enable them to use the label claim fresh."