Labeling fraud can be a crime that vastly hurts a business' reputation. The Associated Press recently reported on the case of Quality Egg LLC, an Iowa-based business that is facing fines of millions of dollars for bad labeling practices.
The source describes the legal action concerning this company, which dates back to 2010 and resulted in the spread of salmonella across the country. More than 500 million eggs had to be recalled, and the article says that the business took steps to lie about expiration dates and even bribed inspectors to let shipments go that did not meet standards.
This is obviously an extreme example evident of corruption, but it shows what happens when products are unlabeled. In response to these allegations, the owners of the business involved, Jack and Peter DeCosta, will be paying fines of $100,000 and pleading guilty, even though they don't seem to be directly involved with the mislabeling scandal itself.
Businesses unsure of their own food labels should, as with all similar products, turn to the FDA guidelines for help. On that agency's website, an FAQ outlines some of the other labeling concerns specific to eggs that might arise during preparations.
For example, the use of a separate label to describe "Safe Handling" is not technically required to be displayed in any one place on the package, but if done so can be located in a way that complies with trade practices.
If you have the appropriate industrial labeling printers at your disposal, then the creation of an advisory can be less daunting. The software you use can help you standardize the process and prevent inaccuracies from appearing.
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