I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1495
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to safeguard public 
health and provide to consumers food that is safe, unadulterated, and 
honestly presented. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 27, 2003
Mr. PALLONE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to 
safeguard public health and provide to consumers food 
that is safe, unadulterated, and honestly presented.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, REFERENCE, AND TABLE OF 
CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘National Uniform Food Safety Labeling Act’’. 
(b) REFERENCE.—Except as otherwise specified, 
whenever in this Act an amendment is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to a section or other provision, the ref-
erence shall be considered to be made to that section or 
other provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 
Act (21 U.S.C. 321 et seq.). 
(c) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents is 
as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title, reference, and table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Labeling of raw or partially cooked foods and unpasteurized juice. 
Sec. 3. Sale and labeling of frozen fish and shellfish. 
Sec. 4. Sale of raw eggs. 
Sec. 5. Statement of origin. 
Sec. 6. Freshness date. 
Sec. 7. Food labeled as natural. 
Sec. 8. Labeling of kosher and kosher-style foods. 
Sec. 9. Unit pricing. 
Sec. 10. Grades for farm products. 
Sec. 11. Regulations.
SEC. 2. LABELING OF RAW OR PARTIALLY COOKED FOODS 
AND UNPASTEURIZED JUICE. 
Section 403 (21 U.S.C. 343) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(w)(1) Unless the label or labeling of raw or par-
tially cooked eggs, fish, milk, dairy products, shellfish, or 
unpasteurized juice offered in a ready-to-eat form as a 
deli, vended, or other item, or the label or labeling of a 
ready-to-eat food containing as an ingredient raw or par-
tially cooked eggs, fish, milk, dairy products, shellfish, or 
unpasteurized juice, discloses the increased risk associated 
with eating such food in raw or partially cooked form. 
‘‘(2) Eggs, fish, milk, dairy products, and shellfish 
routinely served raw or partially cooked, unpasteurized 
juice, and ready-to-eat foods containing such raw or par-
tially cooked foods or unpasteurized juice as ingredients 
shall bear the following: This food contains raw or par-
tially cooked eggs, fish, shellfish, or unpasteurized juice. 
Children, the elderly, pregnant women, or persons with 
weakened immune systems may experience severe 
foodborne illness from eating this item. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall, in accordance with section 
11 of the National Uniform Food Safety Labeling Act, 
establish by regulation the labeling requirements of this 
paragraph.’’. 
SEC. 3. SALE AND LABELING OF FROZEN FISH AND SHELL-
FISH. 
Section 403 (21 U.S.C. 343), as amended by section 
2, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(x)(1) Except as provided in subparagraph (2), if 
it is fish or shellfish that has been frozen unless its label 
or labeling bears a prominent and conspicuous statement 
indicating that such product has been frozen. 
‘‘(2) This paragraph shall not apply to fish or shell-
fish that has been frozen prior to being smoked, cured, 
cooked, or subjected to the heat of commercial steriliza-
tion. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall, in accordance with section 
11 of the National Uniform Food Safety Labeling Act,
establish by regulation the labeling requirements of this 
paragraph.’’. 
SEC. 4. SALE OF RAW EGGS. 
Section 403 (21 U.S.C. 343), as amended by section 
3, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(y)(1) If it is raw eggs, unless its label or labeling 
states ‘Children, the elderly, pregnant women, or persons 
with weakened immune systems may experience severe ill-
ness from eating raw or partially cooked eggs.’
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall, in accordance with section 
11 of the National Uniform Food Safety Labeling Act, 
establish by regulation the labeling requirements of this 
paragraph.’’. 
SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF ORIGIN. 
Section 403 (21 U.S.C. 343), as amended by section 
4, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(z)(1) If it is a perishable agricultural commodity 
as defined in section 1(b)(4) of the Perishable Agricultural 
Commodities Act of 1930 (7 U.S.C. 499a(b)(1)), unless 
it bears a label or labeling containing the country of origin 
of the perishable agricultural commodity. 
‘‘(2) If it is a product derived from a perishable agri-
cultural commodity, including juice, frozen juice con-
centrate, fruit butter, preserves and jams, or canned or 
frozen fruits or vegetables, unless it bears a label or label-
ing containing the country of origin of the perishable agri-
cultural commodity and the product derived from it. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall, in accordance with section 
11 of the National Uniform Food Safety Labeling Act, 
establish by regulation the labeling requirements of this 
paragraph.’’. 
SEC. 6. FRESHNESS DATE. 
Section 403 (21 U.S.C. 343), as amended by section 
5, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(aa)(1) Unless its label or labeling bears the date 
upon which the food should no longer be sold because of 
diminution of quality, nutrient availability, or safety. The 
freshness date shall be stated in terms of the day and 
month of the year if the food will not be fresh after 3 
months on the shelf, or in terms of the month and year 
if the product will be fresh for more than 3 months on 
the shelf. The phrase ‘use by’ shall precede the date. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall, in accordance with section 
11 of the National Uniform Food Safety Labeling Act,
establish by regulation the means of disclosing the 
freshness date.’’. 
SEC. 7. FOOD LABELED AS NATURAL. 
Section 403 (21 U.S.C. 343), as amended by section 
6, is amended by adding at the end the following: