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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 2429

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1896 Session of 1989


        INTRODUCED BY D. R. WRIGHT, COY, ITKIN, PESCI, RYBAK, COHEN,
           HASAY, JOHNSON, LAUGHLIN, PISTELLA, MORRIS, CORRIGAN, TIGUE,
           BILLOW, BOYES AND MELIO, SEPTEMBER 26, 1989

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, SEPTEMBER 26, 1989

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of May 13, 1909 (P.L.520, No.292), entitled "An
     2     act relating to food: defining food; providing for the
     3     protection of the public health, and the prevention of fraud
     4     and deception, by prohibiting the manufacture or sale, the
     5     offering for sale or exposing for sale, or the having in
     6     possession intended to sell, of adulterated, misbranded, or
     7     deleterious foods; prescribing certain duties of the Dairy
     8     and Food Commissioner in reference thereto; and providing
     9     penalties for the violation thereof," further providing for
    10     misbranding of articles.

    11     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    12  hereby enacts as follows:
    13     Section 1.  Section 4 of the act of May 13, 1909 (P.L.520,
    14  No.292), referred to as the Pure Food Law, is amended by adding
    15  paragraphs to read:
    16     Section 4.  That for the purpose of this act, an article
    17  shall be deemed to be misbranded,--
    18     * * *
    19     Eighth.  If it is a food other than an alcoholic beverage, is
    20  intended for human consumption, and is offered for sale, unless
    21  its label or labeling states the following based on a typical


     1  serving size identified in the label--
     2     The number of servings per container, the number of calories,
     3  the amount of protein, complex carbohydrates, natural sugar,
     4  added sugar, total fat, saturated (cholesterol raising) fat,
     5  cholesterol, sodium, and dietary fiber, and whether each amount
     6  is "high," "medium" or "low" according to definitions that the
     7  Secretary of Agriculture shall establish by regulation and the
     8  percentage of the United States Recommended Daily Allowances for
     9  vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium, and whether each
    10  percentage is "high," "medium" or "low" according to definitions
    11  that the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish by regulation.
    12     Ninth.  If it contains a coconut oil, palm oil or palm kernel
    13  oil, unless the label of the article of food states the specific
    14  common or usual name of each such ingredient actually contained
    15  in the article of food and bears the following statement, in a
    16  conspicuous place on the label as proximate as possible to the
    17  name of the food, in capital letters in a conspicuous and
    18  legible type in contrast by typography, layout and color with
    19  other printed matter on the label:
    20         "THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS (here shall be inserted COCONUT
    21         OIL, PALM OIL OR PALM KERNEL OIL). USE OF (here shall be
    22         inserted COCONUT OIL, PALM OIL OR PALM KERNEL OIL) HAS
    23         BEEN SHOWN TO CONTAIN HIGH LEVELS OF SATURATED FAT, WHICH
    24         INCREASE CHOLESTEROL LEVELS AND INCREASE THE RISK OF
    25         HEART ATTACK."
    26     Tenth.  If its label represents that it is low in
    27  cholesterol, unless it contains no more than ten (10) milligrams
    28  of cholesterol per one hundred (100) calories and no more than
    29  twenty (20) milligrams of cholesterol per typical serving; is
    30  low in saturated fat as defined by the Secretary of Agriculture;
    19890H1896B2429                  - 2 -

     1  and bears a label statement, immediately adjacent to each such
     2  representation and in the same type size, that it is "High in
     3  Fat," if it is high in total fat as defined by the Secretary of
     4  Agriculture; "cholesterol free" or that it contains no
     5  cholesterol, unless it contains less than two (2) milligrams of
     6  cholesterol per typical serving; is low in saturated fat as
     7  defined by the Secretary of Agriculture and bears a label
     8  statement, immediately adjacent to each such representation and
     9  in the same type size, that it is "High in Fat," if it is high
    10  in fat as defined by the Secretary of Agriculture; "reduced
    11  cholesterol" or otherwise represents or suggests that it is
    12  lower in cholesterol than a food it can substitute for in the
    13  diet, unless it contains at least one-third less and thirty (30)
    14  milligrams less cholesterol per typical serving than the
    15  industry-wide average for the food for which it can substitute.
    16     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 180 days.










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