- § 1451. Congressional declaration of policy
- § 1452. Unfair and deceptive packaging and labeling; scope of prohibition
- § 1453. Requirements of labeling; placement, form, and contents of statement of quantity; supplemental statement of quantity
- § 1454. Rules and regulations
- § 1455. Procedure for promulgation of regulations
- § 1456. Enforcement
- § 1457. Omitted
- § 1458. Cooperation with State authorities; transmittal of regulations to States; noninterference with existing programs
- § 1459. Definitions
- § 1460. Savings provisions
- § 1461. Effect upon State law
§ 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.
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 2, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1296.)
§ 1452. Unfair and deceptive packaging and labeling; scope of prohibition
(a) Nonconforming labels
(b) Exemptions
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 3, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1296.)
§ 1453. Requirements of labeling; placement, form, and contents of statement of quantity; supplemental statement of quantity
(a) Contents of labelNo person subject to the prohibition contained in section 1452 of this title shall distribute or cause to be distributed in commerce any packaged consumer commodity unless in conformity with regulations which shall be established by the promulgating authority pursuant to section 1455 of this title which shall provide that—
(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
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 4, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1297; Pub. L. 102–245, title I, § 107(a), Feb. 14, 1992, 106 Stat. 13; Pub. L. 102–329, §§ 1, 3, Aug. 3, 1992, 106 Stat. 847, 848.)
§ 1454. Rules and regulations
(a) Promulgating authority
(b) Exemption of commodities from regulations
(c) Scope of additional regulations
Whenever the promulgating authority determines that regulations containing prohibitions or requirements other than those prescribed by section 1453 of this title are necessary to prevent the deception of consumers or to facilitate value comparisons as to any consumer commodity, such authority shall promulgate with respect to that commodity regulations effective to—
(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 section 321(f) of title 21) bear (A) the common or usual name of such consumer commodity, if any, and (B) in case such consumer commodity consists of two or more ingredients, the common or usual name of each such ingredient listed in order of decreasing predominance, but nothing in this paragraph shall be deemed to require that any trade secret be divulged; or
(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
(e) Report and recommendations to Congress upon industry failure to develop or abide by voluntary product standards
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 5, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1298; Pub. L. 96–88, title V, § 509(b), Oct. 17, 1979, 93 Stat. 695; Pub. L. 102–245, title I, § 107(a)(1), (2), Feb. 14, 1992, 106 Stat. 13; Pub. L. 102–329, §§ 1(1), (2), 3, Aug. 3, 1992, 106 Stat. 847, 848.)
§ 1455. Procedure for promulgation of regulations
(a) Hearings by Secretary of Health and Human Services
(b) Judicial review; hearings by Federal Trade Commission
(c) Cooperation with other departments and agencies
(d) Returnable or reusable glass containers for beverages
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 6, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1299; Pub. L. 96–88, title V, § 509(b), Oct. 17, 1979, 93 Stat. 695.)
§ 1456. Enforcement
(a) Misbranded consumer commodities
(b) Unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce
(c) Imports
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 7, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1300.)
§ 1457. Omitted
§ 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.
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 9, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1301; Pub. L. 96–88, title V, § 509(b), Oct. 17, 1979, 93 Stat. 695.)
§ 1459. DefinitionsFor 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 [21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.]), and any other article, product, or commodity of any kind or class which is customarily produced or distributed for sale through retail sales agencies or instrumentalities for consumption by individuals, or use by individuals for purposes of personal care or in the performance of services ordinarily rendered within the household, and which usually is consumed or expended in the course of such consumption or use. Such term does not include—
(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 [7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.], or the provisions of the eighth paragraph under the span “Bureau of Animal Industry” of the Act of March 4, 1913 [21 U.S.C. 151 et seq.], commonly known as the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act;
(3) any drug subject to the provisions of section 503(b)(1) or 506 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [21 U.S.C. 353(b)(1) and 356];
(4) any beverage subject to or complying with packaging or labeling requirements imposed under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act [27 U.S.C. 201 et seq.]; or
(5) any commodity subject to the provisions of the Federal Seed Act [7 U.S.C. 1551 et seq.].
(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 (37 Stat. 250, as amended; 15 U.S.C. 231–233), or the Act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1186, as amended; 15 U.S.C. 234–236).
(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.
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 10, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1301; Pub. L. 90–628, § 2, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1320.)
§ 1460. Savings provisions
Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to repeal, invalidate, or supersede—
(a) the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.] or any statute defined therein as an antitrust Act;
(b) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.]; or
(c) the Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act [15 U.S.C. 1261 et seq.].
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 11, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1302.)
§ 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 section 1453 of this title or regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.
(Pub. L. 89–755, § 12, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1302.)