The decision, published in the Federal Register late last week, could level the condiment playing field for French dressing, which FDA explains was once held as a benchmark for other dressings because of its “wide variation in composition to meet consumer interests,” but which has since suffered as other unrestricted dressings and condiments have innovated to meet changing consumer desires.
For example, under the old standard of identity that was established in 1950, French dressings were required to have at least 35% vegetable oil by weight, leaving ‘fat free’ or ‘low-fat’ versions vulnerable to enforcement, as unlikely as that may be, the agency acknowledged in in the notice.
The standard also stipulated that French dressing must contain an acid and could – but were not required – to include salt, tomato paste and spices.
Over the decades, however, most Americans came to expect the inclusion of tomatoes or tomato-derived ingredients, as well as a “sweet taste,” which were not specified in the standard of identity – further eroding the standard’s value.
“These varieties appear to accommodate consumer preferences and dietary restrictions,” and therefore, FDA argued, “the standard of identify for French dressing no longer promotes honest and fair dealing in the interest of consumers.”
The agency added that “revoking the standard could provide greater flexibility in the product’s manufacture, consistent with comparable, non-standardized foods available in the marketplace.”