Nutrition labels are being redesigned for the first time in 20 years, but not all food manufacturers are happy about the coming changes. Among the new declarations will be the admission of added sugar in foods. The number of calories in a serving of each food product will also be listed in bold type, making it easy to for consumers to find.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration developed the new changes, which will affect prepackaged food products. The labels are frequently used by shoppers to determine which items are healthy and which should be enjoyed in moderation.
"I am thrilled that the FDA has finalized a new and improved Nutrition Facts label that will be on food products nationwide. This is going to make a real difference in providing families across the country the information they need to make healthy choices," said First Lady Michelle Obama.
Serving sizes, which are often considered small, have also been revamped by the FDA in a drive to make the labels more pertinent to consumers. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act requires that such reporting accurately reflect the amount of food taken in by consumers at a typical sitting. Foods that could be consumed in a single day, such as a three-ounce bag of potato chips, will be required to list nutrition facts in two columns — both a single serving and the entire package.
Maintaining a healthy weight can often be challenging for people who consume more than 10 percent of their total calories from added sugar. This fact led the FDA to mandate added sugar be noted on the standardized labels. Some food manufacturers fought that change for two years, before the ruling was adopted.
According to the White House, roughly 77 percent of Americans utilize nutrition labels when deciding which items to buy in grocery stores.
"The updated label makes improvements to this valuable resource so consumers can make more informed food choices — one of the most important steps a person can take to reduce the risk of heart disease and obesity," said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf.
Larger food manufacturers will be mandated to start using the new labels by July 26, 2018. Those producers with less than $10 million in annual sales will be granted an extra year to achieve compliance with the new regulations.
