The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday it will overhaul nutrition labels — essentially unchanged since 1994 — presenting sugar intake prominently in an attempt to change how Americans eat and drink.
The new label will display both servings and calories in a larger, bolder-type font; both updated serving sizes and daily values; amount of added sugars; change in nutrients required; and actual amounts declared.
The Obama administration has pushed for labeling added sugars, despite stiff opposition from food and beverage companies, which say there is no difference between naturally present sugars and added sugars.
Some health experts say added sugars have no nutritional value and increase overall caloric intake, helping fuel obesity and diabetes while steering Americans away from nutrient-rich foods. Until now, nutrition panels have flagged recommended maximums for fats, sodium, cholesterol and carbohydrates but not for sugar.
Food companies — especially soda, ice cream and dessert makers — are expected to oppose the changes with the distinction of “added sugars” on the nutrition label. They argue it is impossible to distinguish added sugar from natural sugar while testing.
Additionally, the footnote usually found at the bottom of the label will be edited. Currently, the footnote reads, “Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.”
When the labels are in stores two years later, it will read, “The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet of 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.”
“Some serving sizes will increase and others will decrease because by law, the serving sizes must be based on the amounts of food and drink that people typically consume, not on how much they should consume. Recent food consumption data show that some serving sizes need to be revised,” according to the FDA’s website.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said, “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.”
According to the American Heart Association, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, as the rate tripled from 1971 to 2011.