FDA nixes identity standard for French dressingFDA nixes identity standard for French dressing

Josh Long, Associate editorial director, SupplySide Supplement Journal

January 21, 2022

2 Min Read
French dressing 2022_0.jpg

FDA earlier this month revoked the standard of identity for French dressing in a move aimed to foster more flexibility and innovation.

Standards of identity, which establish requirements relating to the content and production of certain food products, are common across a range of foods, such as bread, certain cheeses and particular types of chocolate, FDA noted in a Jan. 12 constituent update.

“The standard of identity for French dressing characterized it as containing oil, acidifying and seasoning ingredients, and allowed additional safe and suitable ingredients,” according to the constituent update. “However, based on information submitted to the FDA, consumers appear to expect French dressing to have certain characteristics not required by the standard, such as containing tomatoes or tomato-derived ingredients.”

FDA proposed in December 2020 to revoke the standard of identity for French dressing, drawing 20 comments largely supportive of its proposal. The final rule, published recently in the Federal Register, takes effect Feb. 14.

The Association for Dressings and Sauces (ADS), which was founded in 1926 and represents manufacturers of salad dressing, supported FDA’s decision. That’s no surprise considering the group filed a citizen petition with FDA in 1998, which requested, in part, that FDA repeal the dressing standard.

“Since the standard was adopted, there has been a proliferation of a wide variety of non-standardized pourable salad dressings with different flavors (e.g., Italian, Blue cheese, Vinaigrette, Ranch, Caesar) and composition (including reduced fat, 'light' and fat-free dressings),” ADS told Food & Beverage Insider in an email.

The association made the latter observation in its citizen petition more than two decades ago.

“The French dressing standard does not serve as a benchmark for these pourable salad dressings, due to the variation in composition to meet changing consumer needs,” ADS added in the email. “As a result, the French dressing standard simply restricts innovation.”

A spokesman for ConAgra Brands, whose brands include Wish-Bone dressings, said the company is “aware of the rule change and it will be taken into consideration if we ever consider changing the ingredients in our French dressing.”

FDA first established a standard of identity for French dressing in 1950, then amended the standard in the ’60s and ’70s to permit the use of certain ingredients in French dressing.

In its final rule, FDA acknowledged a “growing variety of dressings for salads on the market that are formulated to meet consumers' preferences and needs.” Without a standard of identity, FDA said, manufacturers will have the freedom to use different ingredients to make French dressing products that meet consumers’ expectations.

“Standards of identity are intended to protect consumers against economic adulteration, maintain the integrity of food and reflect consumers' expectations about the food,” FDA explained. “This rulemaking is part of our comprehensive effort to modernize food standards to reduce regulatory burden and remove barriers to innovation.”

About the Author

Josh Long

Associate editorial director, SupplySide Supplement Journal, Informa Markets Health and Nutrition

Josh Long directs the online news, feature and op-ed coverage at SupplySide Supplement Journal (formerly known as Natural Products Insider), which targets the health and wellness industry. He has been reporting on developments in the dietary supplement industry for over a decade, with a focus on regulatory issues, including at the Food and Drug Administration.

He has moderated and/or presented at industry trade shows, including SupplySide EastSupplySide WestNatural Products Expo WestNBJ Summit and the annual Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn and ping him with story ideas at [email protected]

Education and previous experience

Josh majored in journalism and graduated from Arizona State University the same year "Jake the Snake" Plummer led the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also holds a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law, was admitted in 2008 to practice law in the state of Colorado and spent a year clerking for a state district court judge.

Over more than a quarter century, he’s written on various topics for newspapers and business-to-business publications – from the Yavapai in Arizona and a controversial plan for a nuclear-waste incinerator in Idaho to nuanced issues, including FDA enforcement of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

Since the late 1990s, his articles have been published in a variety of media, including but not limited to, the Cape Cod Times (in Massachusetts), Sedona Red Rock News (in Arizona), Denver Post (in Colorado), Casper Star-Tribune (in Wyoming), now-defunct Jackson Hole Guide (in Wyoming), Colorado Lawyer (published by the Colorado Bar Association) and Nutrition Business Journal.

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