New food labeling guidelines, put forth in 2016 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon affect most food manufacturers after having been a moving target. But after delays and a mountain of questions from industry groups regarding the upcoming changes, it looks like the rules may be coming into sharper focus.
In the weeks ahead, I’ll provide more details on a nutrition strategy to reduce preventable death and disease through better nutrition.
In a recent statement, the FDA highlighted efforts to implement the changes to the new consumer Nutrition Facts label, passed into law under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. The new education initiative will help consumers better understand the changes. And FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb provided new guidelines regarding added sugar, fiber and appropriate serving sizes.
“All of these guidances are reflective of the feedback we heard about the desire for more information on these important topics,” Gottlieb said. “As we move forward with implementing the new labeling, we believe these guidances will help provide information that the industry has sought from the FDA by providing the agency’s current thinking on these topics.”
Helping Consumers Make Healthier Choices
“In the weeks ahead, I’ll provide more details on a nutrition strategy to reduce preventable death and disease through better nutrition. This effort will aim to translate the latest nutritional science into practical measures that can further empower consumers to make better and more informed decisions about their diets and health,” Gottlieb continued. “It’ll provide them with helpful tools to make healthy food choices, including clarity on food label claims, and will create incentives for food producers to manufacture products that are healthier.”
Many food and beverage makers have already implemented the new requirements and are using the new Nutritional Facts labels on their products. The new labels require several changes including more accurate serving sizes, clearly displaying calories per serving, and including information on added sugars and dietary fiber. The amounts per serving of vitamin D and potassium are also required on the new labels.
The Nutrition Facts label was introduced more than 20 years ago to help consumers make informed food choices and maintain healthy dietary practices. This is the first time the label has been updated since its inception.