FDA calls for clear nutrition labels on front of packaged foods: Shots

The proposed new label would not replace the Nutrition Facts label on the back of packaged foods, but rather is designed to complement it. The FDA says consumers could use the new front-of-package label to more easily compare the health of various foods at a glance – for example, examining two packages of yogurt to see which contains the least added sugar.

“We are excited about the new front-of-pack nutrition labeling proposal, as it will give consumers the information they need to take charge of their own health and make healthier purchasing decisions,” says Dr. Peter Lurie., president of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has long advocated for front-of-package labeling.

In 2023, the FDA conducted a study of nearly 10,000 U.S. adults to find out which labels helped consumers more quickly and accurately rate products based on levels of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. The study showed that black and white labels were most effective in helping people identify healthier food options.

But the Consumer Brands Association, formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association, has expressed reservations about the proposed label. “The FDA’s proposed rule for front-of-package nutrition labeling appears to be based on opaque methodology and disregard for industry input and collaboration,” said Sara Gallo, vice-president. chair of product policy at the industry’s trade group, in a statement to NPR. . She points out that the food industry has its own voluntary labeling programs, such as the Facts Up Front label, which she says are already “helping consumers make the healthiest choice.”

Front-of-package labels have become common in dozens of other countries in recent years. But Lurie notes that in many countries, nutrition labels are used as a warning and only appear if a food is high in salt, sugar or fat. This is the approach Chile took in 2016. Packaged foods sold in Chile now have a stop label on the front indicating whether they are high in salt, sugar or fat. Research has shown that after the adoption of these labels, Chilean consumers purchased significantly fewer calories, sugar, saturated fat and sodium than they would have expected if the labels had not been adopted. been in place.

Lurie would have preferred a warning label approach, but he says the FDA’s proposed label is much better than nothing at all.

The nutrition label won’t appear on packaged foods anytime soon. For now, the proposal is open for public comment until May 16. After that, the FDA may choose to make changes to the proposal or finalize the new rule. Once finalized, the FDA says large food manufacturers would have three years to add the new labels, while small food manufacturers would have an additional year.

Gallo, of the Consumer Brands Association, says the food industry group looks forward to working with the incoming Trump administration.

This story was edited by Jane Greenhalgh