The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an initiative to update the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods so that the nutritional content listed on products is more clear, accurate, and more easily understood. The proposal aims to include the latest scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease, on product packaging. The proposed label also would replace out-of-date serving sizes to better align with how much people really eat, and it would feature a fresh design to highlight key parts of the label such as calories and serving sizes.
 
“Our guiding principle here is very simple: that you as a parent and a consumer should be able to walk into your local grocery store, pick up an item off the shelf, and be able to tell whether it’s good for your family,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “So this is a big deal, and it’s going to make a big difference for families all across this country.”

“For 20 years consumers have come to rely on the iconic nutrition label to help them make healthier food choices,” said FDA commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “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.”
 
Some of the changes to the label FDA proposed would:

•   Require information about the amount of “added sugars” in a food product. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that intake of added sugar is too high in the U.S. population and should be reduced. FDA proposed to include “added sugars” on the label to help consumers know how much sugar has been added to the product.
 
•   Update serving size requirements to reflect the amounts people currently eat. What and how much people eat and drink has changed since the serving sizes were first put in place in 1994. By law, serving sizes must be based on what people actually eat, not on what people “should” be eating. Present calorie and nutrition information for the whole package of certain food products that could be consumed in one sitting.
 
•   Present “dual column” labels to indicate both “per serving” and “per package” calorie and nutrition information for larger packages that could be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings.
 
•   Require the declaration of potassium and vitamin D, nutrients that some in the U.S. population are not getting enough of, which puts them at higher risk for chronic disease. Vitamin D is important for its role in bone health. Potassium is beneficial in lowering blood pressure. Vitamins A and C would no longer be required on the label, though manufacturers could declare them voluntarily.
 
•   Revise the Daily Values for a variety of nutrients such as sodium, dietary fiber and vitamin D. Daily Values are used to calculate the Percent Daily Value on the label, which helps consumers understand the nutrition information in the context of a total daily diet.
 
•   While continuing to require “Total Fat,” “Saturated Fat,” and “Trans Fat” on the label, “Calories from Fat” would be removed because research shows the type of fat is more important than the amount.
 
•   Refresh the format to emphasize certain elements, such as calories, serving sizes and Percent Daily Value, which are important in addressing current public health problems like obesity and heart disease.
 
According to FDA, the proposed updates reflect new dietary recommendations, consensus reports, and national survey data, such as the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, nutrient intake recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, and intake data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). FDA also considered extensive input and comments from a wide range of stakeholders.
 
“By revamping the Nutrition Facts label, FDA wants to make it easier than ever for consumers to make better informed food choices that will support a healthy diet.” said Michael R. Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine. “To help address obesity, one of the most important public health problems facing our country, the proposed label would drive attention to calories and serving sizes.”

The Nutrition Facts label has been required on food packages for 20 years, helping consumers better understand the nutritional value of foods so they can make healthy choices for themselves and their families. The label has not changed significantly since 2006 when information on trans fat had to be declared on the label, prompting manufacturers to reduce partially hydrogenated oils, the main source of trans fat, in many of their products.

The changes proposed affect all packaged foods except certain meat, poultry and processed egg products, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The FDA is also proposing to make corresponding updates to the Supplement Facts label on dietary supplements where applicable.
The agency is accepting public comment on the proposed changes for 90 days.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) welcomed FDA’s proposed rule, in particular, praising the agency for re-enforcing the continued use of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) as the basis for determining the Daily Value (DV) for nutrients. “CRN applauds FDA for keeping the RDA as its standard for DVs on food labels. At a time when we know of significant nutrient shortfalls in the typical American diet, it would have been a mistake to water down nutritional requirements so that at most only half the population would be covered,” said Andrea Wong, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN.
 
The RDA is the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient by the Food and Nutrition Board to meet the requirements of 97.5% of healthy individuals in each life-stage and sex group. It is calculated based on the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), and is usually approximately 20% higher than the EAR. The EAR is expected to satisfy the needs of only 50% of the people in that age group based on a review of the scientific literature, said CRN.
 
Despite recent concerns raised in the press by some that Americans are in danger of “overnutrifying,” the agency advised that’s not the case. FDA did a thorough review of available data and concluded that “…total nutrient intakes (from both conventional foods and dietary supplements)…do not exceed the [Tolerable Upper Levels] for most vitamins and minerals.”
 
“In fact,” said Dr. Wong, “the data show that consumers are not even meeting the EAR for a number of nutrients. We still do urge people, however, to be aware of their total nutrient intake from foods, fortified foods and supplements. But FDA’s analysis should help put to rest those critics using overnutrification as a way to dismiss supplementation.”
 
In addition, CRN commended FDA for calling out potassium and vitamin D as “nutrients of public health significance.”
 
Dr. Wong also commented that FDA’s plans to revise specific DVs for calcium and vitamin D “is the appropriate thing to do.” She added, “CRN commends FDA on its science-based proposal to update food labeling requirements. We believe consumers will be well-served by the changes that will affect the dietary supplement industry.”