Other Services of the
Food Science Extension Outreach Program
 Nutrition
Facts Panel for Your Food Product Label
The federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
requires that packaged foods bear the nutrition facts panel unless the
producer qualifies for an exemption. A small business may be exempt
from displaying the Nutrition Facts Panel if: (1) the annual gross sales
of food to consumers is less than $50,000, (2) it has fewer than 100
employees, and (3) sales of fewer than 100,000 units per year.
Note: If any nutrient content claim (e.g., "low fat") or health
claim is made on the labeling or advertising of the product, the small
business exemption is not applicable.
Keep in mind, however, that wholesale buyers may require that the
nutrition facts panel be on the product label. Also, if you are getting
a large number of your food product labels printed, it will save time
and money to design the label with the nutrition facts panel in place.
A separate nutrition facts panel is required for each size of
container or package. The EFS specialists will provide a nutrition facts
panel in digital format ready to put into your label for a nominal fee.
For businesses
within the state of Georgia, click here for details.
Out-of-state fees for a
nutrition facts panel are available here.
Product Classification, Process Approval, pH and Brix Testing
The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) requires that certain types
of food items offered for sale within the State of Georgia have a letter
of process approval from a
certified food process authority.
The process authority carefully
examines the recipe for the item, the methods used to prepare,
package and store the item, and the food safety precautions required
to produce a safe product. Once the process is approved, a letter of
process approval is sent to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Then GDA will send a letter of process certification for the product
to you.
Some food product categories may be exempt from the
process approval requirement because of the method of processing or
certain critical limits as required by are met. For
guidelines for food processing safety from GDA,
click here.
The
UGA EFS specialists offer product classification and process
approval services to Georgia food businesses for a nominal fee.
Click here if you plan to
process and package the food product
yourself in a facility that has been licensed by the Georgia
Department of Agriculture.
If you will be using a private label co-packer that is certified
by GDA to prepare and package your product,
click here.
For a list of certified Georgia food product co-packers,
click here.
 Directions & Map to EFS Offices
NOTE: we do not have public parking available at the EFS office at this
time! Please park in the South Campus parking deck beside the Georgia Center
off Lumpkin Street and walk
over to the Food Science Building.
The UGA Orbit bus route runs beside the Food Science Building
on Cedar Street.
Other Items of Interest to Food Entrepreneurs
Click here for FREE
registration on an interactive website that links producers of
Georgia food products with consumers.
Flavor of Georgia Food Product Competition
EFS co-sponsors this annual food product competition along with the
Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development at UGA.
Click here to see last year's
winners and winning products.
Services Offered by the UGA
Family
& Consumer Sciences Extension Program
ServSafe™ Training
- On-site training in food safety and handling for food service workers
Home
Canning & Freezing Information
The National Center for Home Food Preservation is a part of the UGA
College of Family & Consumer Sciences and offers many publications about
canning and freezing your home products. Click on the underlined heading
above to go to the NCHFP website.
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