diff --git a/R/tm_missing_data.R b/R/tm_missing_data.R
index d6b8d02f1..de29e0020 100644
--- a/R/tm_missing_data.R
+++ b/R/tm_missing_data.R
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ srv_missing_data <- function(id, data, reporter, filter_panel_api, dataname, par
             },
           env = list(
             new_col_name = new_col_name,
-            column_labels_value = c(var_labels(data_r())[selected_vars()],
+            column_labels_value = c(teal.data::col_labels(data_r())[selected_vars()],
               new_col_name = new_col_name
             )
           )
diff --git a/R/tm_variable_browser.R b/R/tm_variable_browser.R
index 40de67976..a1f79fc41 100644
--- a/R/tm_variable_browser.R
+++ b/R/tm_variable_browser.R
@@ -1078,7 +1078,7 @@ get_plotted_data <- function(input, plot_var, data) {
   varname <- plot_var$variable[[dataset_name]]
   df <- data()[[dataset_name]]
 
-  var_description <- var_labels(df)[[varname]]
+  var_description <- teal.data::col_labels(df)[[varname]]
   list(data = df[[varname]], var_description = var_description)
 }
 
diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index 1d2a1e56d..87b5b9884 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -287,55 +287,6 @@ include_css_files <- function(pattern = "*") {
   return(shiny::singleton(shiny::tags$head(lapply(css_files, shiny::includeCSS))))
 }
 
-
-#' Get Label Attributes of Variables in a \code{data.frame}
-#'
-#' Variable labels can be stored as a \code{label} attribute for each variable.
-#' This functions returns a named character vector with the variable labels
-#' (empty sting if not specified)
-#'
-#' @param x a \code{data.frame} object
-#' @param fill boolean in case the \code{label} attribute does not exist if
-#'   \code{TRUE} the variable names is returned, otherwise \code{NA}
-#'
-#' @return a named character vector with the variable labels, the names
-#'   correspond to the variable names
-#'
-#' @note the `formatters` package is the source of the function.
-#'
-#' @keywords internal
-var_labels <- function(x, fill = FALSE) {
-  stopifnot(is.data.frame(x))
-  if (NCOL(x) == 0) {
-    return(character())
-  }
-
-  y <- Map(function(col, colname) {
-    label <- attr(col, "label")
-
-    if (is.null(label)) {
-      if (fill) {
-        colname
-      } else {
-        NA_character_
-      }
-    } else {
-      if (!is.character(label) && !(length(label) == 1)) {
-        stop("label for variable ", colname, "is not a character string")
-      }
-      as.vector(label)
-    }
-  }, x, colnames(x))
-
-  labels <- unlist(y, recursive = FALSE, use.names = TRUE)
-
-  if (!is.character(labels)) {
-    stop("label extraction failed")
-  }
-
-  labels
-}
-
 #' Get a string with java-script code checking if the specific tab is clicked
 #' @description will be the input for `shiny::conditionalPanel()`
 #' @param id `character(1)` the id of the tab panel with tabs.
diff --git a/man/var_labels.Rd b/man/var_labels.Rd
deleted file mode 100644
index 151778733..000000000
--- a/man/var_labels.Rd
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/utils.R
-\name{var_labels}
-\alias{var_labels}
-\title{Get Label Attributes of Variables in a \code{data.frame}}
-\usage{
-var_labels(x, fill = FALSE)
-}
-\arguments{
-\item{x}{a \code{data.frame} object}
-
-\item{fill}{boolean in case the \code{label} attribute does not exist if
-\code{TRUE} the variable names is returned, otherwise \code{NA}}
-}
-\value{
-a named character vector with the variable labels, the names
-correspond to the variable names
-}
-\description{
-Variable labels can be stored as a \code{label} attribute for each variable.
-This functions returns a named character vector with the variable labels
-(empty sting if not specified)
-}
-\note{
-the \code{formatters} package is the source of the function.
-}
-\keyword{internal}