The nutrition labels that accompany most food products are about to get a major overhaul, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
The changes, which have been endorsed by Michelle Obama, will make the labels easier to discern and provide more realistic serving sizes.
“Too often it’s nearly impossible to get the most basic facts about the food we buy for our families,” Obama noted. “Unless you had a thesaurus, a calculator, a microscope, or a degree in nutrition, you were out of luck. Today, for the first time since the nutrition label was developed two decades ago, we’re overhauling these labels to make them easier to read and understand.”
According to the FDA, the proposed changes will be required on all packaged foods except certain meats, poultry and processed egg products. Those products undergo a different regulatory process through the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
New Look
The changes are designed to make it easier for consumers to discern exactly what they are putting in their body. The changes include:
- Information about “added sugars” will now be listed on the box. According to the USDA, the average daily sugar intake in the US is far too high. “We believe that requiring added sugars to be listed separately on the nutrition facts panel will better allow consumers to identify and compare products with added sugar and enable them to make better choices,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.
- Serving sizes will be adjusted to reflect what the average consumer usually eats, not what they should be eating. For example, inside of listing a serving size as half a bagel, 190 calories, the label will now list the whole bagel as the serving size at 380 calories. “For packaged foods and beverages that are typically consumed in one sitting, we propose labeling all of them as a single serving size and declaring calorie and nutrient information for the entire package,” said Hamburg.
- Certain nutrients are critical in preventing the onset of chronic disease, but food labels are not required to list these ingredients. The new food labels will include information about nutrients like potassium and Vitamin D so consumers can better understand what vitamins and minerals they are ingesting.
- Labels will place an extra emphasis on calories, serving size, and Percent Daily Value.
Michelle Obama commended the proposed changes, saying adults can use the information to make better food choices for their families.
“As consumers and as parents, we have a right to understand what’s in the food we’re feeding our families.”
Dr. Silverman comments
This is a step in the right direction. I’m glad the FDA, USDA and the First Lady are taking steps to help consumers make better food choices.
Upon looking at the changes, the one I am most pleased with is the one concerning added sugars. Looking at this category can give you a quick determination of the health of the product. If you stay away from sugars, you’ll be more likely to choose healthier, less fattening products.
I look forward to these new labels.