Last month, the FDA proposed its first major changes of the Nutrition Facts label in over 20 years. According to a statement released by the FDA, the "proposed new Nutrition Facts label will make it easier for consumers to make informed decisions about the food they eat. The label reflects the latest scientific thinking about nutrition and the links between what people eat and chronic diseases like obesity and cardiovascular disease."
The FDA’s Health and Diet Survey in 2008 showed that more than half of consumers surveyed read a label the first time they purchase a food product to get a general idea about the overall nutrition of an item. In addition to showing the overall nutritional value of food, nutrition labels can help consumers identify foods with specific nutrients such as calcium and iron that may be deficient from their diet.
Updates to the Nutrition Facts label would include:
I. New Label Design
An updated design would emphasize certain nutrition values such as total calories and serving size, making them easier to see and understand. The recommended percentage of daily intake would also be moved to the left side of the label so it is more prominently displayed.
II. Updates to Reflect Recent Research
Since the original FDA regulations went into effect in May of 1994, numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of certain nutrients and their impact on American diets. For example, experts have recommended consumers decrease intake of calories from sugar, as well as a shift in the daily amount of nutrients such as sodium and fiber.
Added Sugar - Since Americans get about 16% of their total calories from added sugars in their diets, the FDA is proposing a distinction between naturally occurring sugars and those added to a food during processing to help identify foods with high amounts of added sugar.
Nutrition & Chronic Diseases - Manufacturers would be required to include the amounts of potassium and Vitamin D. The FDA suggests these nutrients, as well as calcium and iron, can help prevent risk of developing some chronic diseases. Requiring potassium and Vitamin D in addition to calcium and iron would allow consumers to see levels of more critical nutrients in their foods.
Calories from Fat – The FDA is recommending the removal of "Calories from Fat" from food labels because recent research suggests the type of fat (Saturated, Trans Fat, etc.) is more important than the overall amount consumed.
III. Changes to Serving Size
On average, consumers eat more today than they did 20 years ago, and serving sizes listed on current nutrition labels may be misleading if consumers rely on the nutrition information provided "per serving" on current labels. Updating the serving size to reflect the amount more likely to be consumed will help consumers get a more accurate picture of the total values for calories, sugars, etc.
Manufacturers of packaged foods like soft drinks that are typically consumed in one sitting would be required to list the total nutrition values for each package instead of masking calorie count by labeling a single serving item with 2 servings per container. A dual column label option has also been proposed (see below) to address this issue, essentially listing per serving information side-by-side with total nutrition values for the entire package.
Changes to the FDA's nutrition label is one method to "help consumers make informed food choices and maintain healthy dietary practices," says the FDA, but other factors such as "exercise and eating behaviors, which are not addressed by the nutrition label" must be addressed as well.
If approved, domestic and imported food manufacturers would have two years to comply with the new label requirements.
To learn more about the proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts Label, click here.
Posted February 27, 2014
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