Food labeling for fresh produce is the responsibility of the USDA.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for setting standards regarding the safety of all food and drugs products sold to consumers in this country. These responsibilities include setting standards for the labeling of both drugs and food products, standards that require both ingredient labeling and nutrition labeling for most food products.
Food Products vs Conventional Foods
While the FDA is responsible for overall food safety and labeling of food products, the U.S. Dept of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for inspecting and labeling conventional foods (meats, raw produce, fish, etc.). The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the branch of the USDA responsible for food inspection, safety, and labeling. A food product is defined as anything prepared using food ingredients - breads, cereals. desserts, snacks, flavored beverages, canned and frozen foods, and the like are all food products.
Labeling Required for Food Products
Food product labeling is the direct responsibility of the FDA and they have promulgated an oft-amended set of standards for labels based on the category of the food product (which is largely determined by the ingredients, preparation techniques, preservatives, packaging, etc.). For most standard food products the label must include both ingredient information (in percentage order) and nutrition information (on a per serving basis).
Drug Labels
The FDA is also mandated to establish standards for the safety, efficacy and labeling of drugs, but that is a structured scientific process involving many years of research and clinical trials, which has resulted in the labels for drugs today being long and complex with detailed use instructions, contra-indications, and side effects. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor if you have any questions about over-the-counter or prescription medications.
