Putting the Nutrition back in the Label!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently proposed some updates to their nutrition facts label that will help The Greater Boston Food Bank and consumers alike make healthier choices on what we eat. The three major changes include a greater understanding of Nutrition Science, updating the serving size requirements, and a design refresh. Nutrition Science education is included by requiring manufacturers to add new information on “Added Sugars”, Vitamin D, and Potassium, which are all currently significant to the public interest. Calcium and iron will still be required while Vitamins A and C are optional. “Calories from fat” will be removed since studies have shown that the type of fat consumed is much more important than the actual amount.

Serving sizes will be updated to reflect what people actually eat and drink in one sitting, not what they “should” be eating. Packaged foods and drinks that are usually eaten in one sitting will be labeled as a single serving and the nutrition facts label will represent information for the entire package. An example of this is 12 and 20 ounce sodas, both are typically consumed in one sitting so both labels will reflect the total amount in the bottle. Packaged foods that are larger and can be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings will have a “dual column” label showing both “per serving” and “per package” nutrition information. This way, if people choose to eat or drink the entire package, they will have all of the information about what they are consuming. Finally, there will be a fresh new look to the label! Calories and Serving sizes will be larger to stand out and be more visible to the public. The Percent Daily Value, which tells consumers how much of certain nutrients one is getting from a particular food when compared to the total daily recommendation, will be moved to the left to be more visibly prominent. The footnote will also be updated to more clearly explain the Percent Daily Value. The Greater Boston Food Bank is excited about these proposed changes because the new label helps us in promoting more nutritious lives by enabling individuals and communities to make more informed and healthy food choices! To learn more about these Nutrition Label changes, visit the FDA website.   References

1. Proposed Nutrition Facts Label At-A-Glance. FDA.org. Retrieved March 6, 2014.