I looked this stuff up when I was designing my packaging and labels and being a graphic designer in general, I thought it would be good to know for any other business that I might do. This is what I found.
According to the FDA, the "front" is defined as the principle display panel.
This link shows some pics as examples on the site:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplia ... 064866.htm
And a description for cosmetics:
PRINCIPAL DISPLAY PANEL
THE PART OF A LABEL THAT THE CONSUMER SEES OR EXAMINES WHEN DISPLAYED FOR RETAIL SALE.
Sec. 10(t), FP&L Act
21 CFR 701.10
As mentioned before, the PDP is that part of the label that is most likely to be shown or examined under customary conditions for retail sale.
Regulations [21 CFR 701.10] published by the FDA require that the PDP be large enough to accommodate all required label information with clarity and conspicuousness.
If a package bears more than one PDP, the information required to be placed on the PDP must be duplicated on all PDPs.
For the purpose of assuring uniform type size for declaring a product's net quantity of contents, the size of the surface area bearing the PDP, and not the size of the PDP itself, is the determining factor.
The area of the PDP is for a:
Rectangular package: One entire side.
Cylindrical package: 40% of height x circumference.
Any other shape of container: 40% of total container surface, excluding top, bottom, neck, shoulder, flanges.
The PDP of a "boudoir-type" or decorative cosmetic container, e.g., cartridge, pill box, compact or special variety, and those containing 1/4 oz or less may be a tear-away tag or tape affixed to the container [21 CFR 701.13(e)(1)]. It may also be the display panel of a card to which the immediate container is affixed [21 CFR 701.13(e)(2)].
For more info on that:
http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmeticla ... 126444.htm
