In our last blog post, we showed our readers the proposed updates to the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods. Here’s another look at the current label (left) and proposed label (right):
The proposed label features a new design that highlights the calories and serving sizes more clearly. The update will also address out-of-date serving sizes to better align with how much people really eat. We discussed the proposed label change with our followers over several social networks and the overall consensus was a positive view towards the new label. Many liked the larger layout and felt it was easier to read. Several parents chimed in and felt the new format would save them time and be more efficient especially when shopping with children in tow. However, some did point out that they do not condone the idea of increasing serving sizes to fit the needs of the majority of Americans.
Those on the other end of the spectrum with regards to the serving size left comments such as, “I like the ‘resized’ labels. Who only eats one Fig Newton? No one! More like one sleeve!”
There seems to be an endless amount of smartphone applications that will track your dietary intake, many of which will allow you to scan the barcode label right into your food tracker. As one commenter pointed out, “By themselves, these labels provide some value, but the sum of what you eat over a period of time will be far more valuable."
What about eating out?
Eating out still remains a challenge for those looking to watch their portion intake. If there is one takeaway from the above image, it is that there aren’t a lot of Americans eating just one serving when eating out which we presume is just as true when eating at home and reading labels. With that being said, our team at Grey Matter Marketing is on the bandwagon for these proposed labels. It is definitely a step in the right direction to more easily inform Americans and that’s a positive to us!
