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FDA Proposes Updates to Nutrition Facts Labels

Have you heard the news? A press release issued last month from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed an update to the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods. This change was ignited by the latest scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease.

So what would this look like?

Let’s first take a look at how food labels look now (left) vs. the proposed labels (right):

FDA Old LabelFDA New Label

As you can see, the proposed label features a new design that highlights the calories and serving sizes more clearly. The press release also states that the goal is to replace out-of-date serving sizes to better align with how much people really eat. 

"By law, serving sizes must be based on what people actually eat, not on what people “should” be eating."

Some of the other proposed changes include:

  • Showing the amount of “added sugars”.
  • Indication of both “per serving” and “per package” information for larger items that could be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings.
  • Revision of the nutrients section including the declaration of potassium and vitamin D and doing away with those that are less important like vitamins A and C.
  • “Calories from Fat” would be removed since research shows it is the type of fat over the amount of fat that is most important.

What is your reaction to this? Would the new labeling help you make better-informed choices? Is this a step in the right direction for those struggling with healthy food choices and/or obesity?

Holley




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