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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made a significant change regarding the regulations surrounding French dressing. For over 70 years, any product labeled as “French dressing” was required to contain specific ingredients, including vinegar, lemon or lime juice, and a minimum vegetable oil concentration of 35%. Any variation that did not meet these criteria could not be marketed as French dressing.
Recently, the FDA acknowledged the outdated nature of these regulations and officially deregulated French dressing. The agency stated that the previous requirements no longer served the best interests of consumers and did not promote honesty and fairness in the industry.
The FDA’s decision to remove these restrictions aims to offer more flexibility in French dressing production, aligning it with other similar non-standardized food products available in the market. This move will allow manufacturers to have more creative freedom in developing their French dressing recipes, provided that all ingredients used are deemed safe for consumption by the FDA.
Following the regulatory changes, manufacturers can now innovate their French dressing formulations by adjusting the vegetable oil content to create creamier or lower-fat versions. They also have the freedom to introduce new ingredients like tomato paste or additional spices, expanding the range of options available to consumers.
After 72 years, FDA says French dressing won’t have a legal definition https://t.co/0mWotIU3YF
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 13, 2022
