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FDA proposes changes to Nutrition Facts label
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The FDA has proposed an update to the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods, in response to recent research and the association between dietary habits and chronic illnesses including CVD and obesity.
According to a press release, the proposed changes include the following:
- An indication of the amount of added sugars included in the food item.
- Updated serving size requirements that more accurately reflect how much people eat and drink, with information for the entire package of food items that could be consumed in a single sitting.
- For larger packages that could be consumed over single or multiple sittings, inclusion of nutritional information both “per serving” and “per package.”
- A required indication of potassium and vitamin D content.
- Updated Daily Values for sodium, dietary fiber and vitamin D.
- Removal of the “Calories from Fat” indication, due to research indicating that the type of fat is more important than the amount.
- A redesign of the format, with an emphasis on calories, serving sizes and Percent Daily Value.
Margaret A. Hamburg
The proposed changes follow recent data, consensus reports and dietary recommendations, according to the release. “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,” FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, said in the release.
The changes would be the first significant alterations to the Nutrition Facts label since 2006, when a requirement for the inclusion of trans fat information was introduced. The proposal is open to public comment for 90 days following the announcement.