Posted March 3, 2014
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently proposed
rules to update the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods, according to an
FDA press release, available here.
An example of the proposed label is
available here.
“For 20 years consumers have come to rely on the iconic
nutrition label to help them make healthier food choices,” said FDA
Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.
“To remain relevant, the FDA’s newly proposed Nutrition Facts label incorporates
the latest in nutrition science as more has been learned about the connection
between what we eat and the development of serious chronic diseases impacting
millions of Americans.”
The two proposed rules are, “Food
Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels” and “Food
Labeling: Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed at One-Eating
Occasion; Dual-Column Labeling; Updating, Modifying, and Establishing Certain
Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed; Serving Size for Breath Mints; and
Technical Amendments.” The comment
period for both proposed rules ends on June 2, 2014.
Some changes include: requiring information about the
amount of “added sugars;” updating the serving size to reflect the amounts
people currently eat and drink; dual column labels to indicate both “per
serving” and “per package” calorie and nutrition information; requiring
potassium and vitamin D to be listed; revising Daily Values for nutrients such
as sodium, dietary fiber, and vitamin D; removing “Calories from Fat” from the
label; and emphasizing calories, serving sizes and Percent Daily Value.
The American Heart Association and the Center for
Science in the Public Interest applauded FDA’s changes, but also said they
would suggest additional changes, according to a CNN article available here. Both organizations said FDA’s sodium
recommendation was too high and CSPI said it will request that the “FDA include
a daily value of 25 grams for added sugars.”
For more information on food labeling, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
