In Brief: Expiration dates on tubes

Expiration dates on tubes: Expiration dating placed on the crimp of a dispensing tube "is an acceptable way to comply" with current regs, FDA tells Bob Nakutin, Westport, Wash., in an April 22 response to his citizen petition. The petition requests that the expiration date be placed in a "more visible location" -- consumers often roll up tubes, rendering the date invisible -- and that it be "made easily legible" through the use of contrasting colors. FDA responded that "no known problems have been associated with such information appearing on the crimp of the dispensing tube," and it has "not encountered any [dates] that are unreadable due to lack of color contrast"...