Under normal display conditions, the PDP (Principal Display Panel) is described as the portion of a label (or package) that is most likely to be displayed, presented, shown, or examined for retail sale.
Many regulatory requirements are based on the PDP’s area. For example: the print size of a net quantity statement.
The Principal Display Panel (PDP) is the part of a food label that is most likely to be displayed to the customer when for sale. This is the front label on a product.
FDA Reader
How to calculate principal display panel’s area?
The principal display panel’s area can be calculated as follows:
- For rectangular containers, the height times the width (H x W) of the package’s front, where the front determined by how the package designed to be displayed;
- For cylindrical or nearly cylindrical containers, 40 per cent of the height times the circumference [0.4 x (H x C)] of the container; E.g., to calculate, measure the circumference of the bottle and the height of the bottle, excluding the slope at the top (called the “shoulder”).
- 40 per cent of the total surface area of the container for other shaped containers. If the container has a visible main display panel (for example, the face of a triangular or circular package of cereals or the top of a can of nail polish), the area must be calculated from the shape of that surface.
- The PDP (principle display panel) for a small container that holds less than 1/4 ounce (by weight) or 1/8 oz (by volume) and is labelled with a tag or attached card can be calculated based on the size of the tag or card to which it is attached.
Exclude tops, bottoms, flanges at tops and bottoms of cans, and shoulders and necks of bottles or jars when calculating the area of the principal display panel.
PDP Element Requirements
The following items must be present on the PDP. Labelling elements that may appear on other package parts are not included in this list.
- The food’s identity (common name)
- Net Volume of Contents
Aside from the Principal Display Panel, a secondary display panel contains the same data as the Principal Display Panel. The information on the Principal Display Panel must be clear and readable, with no design, vignettes, or crowding interfering. The quantity of the contents must be uniform in size for packages of the same size, as required by rules.
In the India Food package Principal Display Panel also includes symbols for vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods
According to the Draft Regulation, the symbol for vegetarian foods containing chemicals such as food additives and plant processing aids was a green triangle inside a square. It’s now a green-filled circle inside a square.
According to the Draft Regulation, a brown circle inside a square denoted non-vegetarian food, including components such as food additives. It’s now a brown-coloured triangle within a square.
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