Exempt From Labeling

[phakephur]

I'm annoyed that a local dairy is exempt from labeling requirements because they put their products in glass bottles (calico_jo, you are probably familiar with Maple View Dairy). The ingredients are not listed on the web site. Nutritional brochures are supposed to be available at the store, but when I asked for one at Whole Foods it wasn't readily available and took about a week to get.

The milk is produced without hormones. It's cheaper than national brands and I like the idea of supporting local agriculture. I have a copy of the nutritional info now, but who knows when that will be outdated. I'd like to buy their chocolate milk, but I can't apply the rule of "every label, every time".

I just don't think there should be a labeling exemption for recyclable packaging. They could alter the cap to inclue the information.

Has anyone else run into something like this? Now I'm curious about what products or packaging qualify for exemption.

Sarah

[lotusgem]

Sarah,

that's ridiculous! Are you in the U.S.?

Paula

[phakephur]

Yes.

This is a local dairy that bottles their products in those old style glass bottles that you take back to the store for deposit refund. So because the glass bottles are actually reused (not recycled as I mistyped earlier), there is some sort of exemption in play. But they have small platic bottles with chocolate milk, etc. in them which are recyclable and can not be returned for refund and those also have no ingredient list or nutritional information.

Additionally, there is no contact info given to find out ingredients as there is, or used to be, on some small packaging. Sometimes you'll see the ever lame "for nutritional information write to..."

I never paid much attention to it until my boyfriend who is mostly gluten-free for my benefit but doesn't have to be (which I nice until he lords it over me, but that's a topic for another post) got some buttermilk from this dairy to make fried chicken. Having read the ingredient lists for other buttermilk products I was a little alarmed, given the amount of thickener and other crap that goes into making something that should in theory be an elemental food.

So now this begins to irk me because I suspect some kind of regulation is being broken, but I'd like to find out for sure. If anyone has knowledge of this, I'd appreciate a post. Otherwise, I'll investigate and report back. I'll be at the Harris Teeter customer service desk tonight with a half gallon of chocolate milk "I need to know if there is bat urine in this"

Sarah

[lotusgem]

Hi again, Sarah.

That exemption thing sure sounds fishy to me, but I don't really know anything about the rules and regulations. When I was a kid, bottles were the ONLY containers for milk, and I remember what the lids were like. I can't see any reason why they couldn't at least list the ingredients on the lids; there'd be enough room. I didn't realize how late in the day it is (too much time spent cruising the Celiac message board!) and when I called the FDA I found out after a five minute tour of their telephone menu, that they close at 4pm EST. Their number is 1-888-463-6332 in case you'd like to talk to them yourself.

Let us know what you find out.

Paula

[Guest ajlauer]

I'm pretty sure the recyclable (not reusable) bottles must have the info on them. Either that or, "this item not labeled for individual sale". There's no reason for the exemption on the glass bottles either. They could very easily make a plastic or paper label to put around the bottles. Let us know what you find out.