Title 16

SECTION 500.3

500.3 Prohibited acts, coverage, general labeling requirements, exemption procedures.

§ 500.3 Prohibited acts, coverage, general labeling requirements, exemption procedures.

(a) No person engaged in the packaging or labeling of any consumer commodity for distribution in commerce, and no person (other than a common carrier for hire, or a freight forwarder for hire) engaged in the distribution in commerce of any packaged or labeled consumer commodity, shall distribute or cause to be distributed in commerce any such commodity if such commodity is contained in a package, or if there is affixed to that commodity a label, which does not conform to the provisions of the Act and of the regulations in this part.

(b) Persons engaged in business as wholesale or retail distributors of consumer commodities shall be subject to the Act and the regulations in this part to the extent that such persons are engaged in the packaging or labeling of consumer commodities, or prescribe or specify by any means the manner in which such consumer commodities are packaged or labeled.

(c) Each packaged or labeled consumer commodity, unless it has been exempted through proceedings under section 5(b) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 1454(b)), shall, upon being prepared for distribution in commerce or for sale at retail, and before being distributed in commerce or offered for sale at retail, be labeled in accordance with the requirements of the Act and the regulations in this part.

(d) Each packaged or labeled consumer commodity, unless it has been exempted through proceedings under section 5(b) of the Act, shall bear a label specifying the identity of the commodity; the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor; the net quantity of contents; and the net quantity per serving, use or application, where there is a label representation as to the number of servings, uses, or applications obtainable from the commodity. Many products exempted through proceedings under section 5(b) of the Act and section 500.3(e) of this chapter or excluded under part 503 of this chapter nonetheless fall within the purview of the weights-and-measures laws of the individual states.

(e) Regulations will be promulgated by the Commission exempting particular consumer commodities from one or more of the requirements of section 4 of the Act and the regulations thereunder to the extent and under such conditions as are consistent with the declared policy of the Act whenever the Commission finds that, because of the nature, form, or quantity of the particular consumer commodity, or for other good and sufficient reasons, full compliance with all the requirements otherwise applicable is impracticable or is not necessary for the adequate protection of consumers. Proceedings for the promulgation of such exempting regulations may be commenced by the Commission upon its own initiative or pursuant to petition filed with the Secretary by any interested person or group stating reasonable grounds for the proposed exemption, pursuant to § 1.15 of this chapter of the Commission's general procedures.

[59 FR 1872, Jan. 12, 1994, as amended at 80 FR 71689, Nov. 17, 2015]