FDA recommends putting nutritional information on front of food packages

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday proposed new rules for nutrition labels on packaged foods and beverages aimed at helping Americans make healthier choices at a glance.

Under the new rules, which consumers can expect to see as early as 2028, food manufacturers will be required to display saturated fat, sodium and added sugar content on the front of packaging.

Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Global Studies, said packaged foods in the United States often carry many health and nutrition claims, which can confuse consumers and don't know what to expect. To their advantage or disadvantage. public health.

For example, juice drinks may advertise their high vitamin C content on the front of the bottle, making them appear like a healthy choice, but at the same time, they're also high in added sugar, Smith-Tellie said.

The idea is that by putting certain nutritional information directly in front of consumers, they will be more likely to make a health-conscious decision.

The FDA's proposed front-of-pack labeling would include the amount of saturated fat, sodium and added sugar, and whether those levels are considered “low,” “medium” or “high.”

“I think people want to know this information to help them make good decisions,” said Dr. Yian Gu, a nutritional epidemiologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

However, additional information won't do much good if people don't know how certain nutrients, such as saturated fat, affect their health, Gu said, adding that more needs to be done to educate people about their nutrition .

The FDA's proposal comes amid high rates of diet-related chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, in the United States. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for one in five deaths, according to the center. For disease control and prevention. About 1 in 10 Americans has diabetes, most of which is type 2 diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about two in five adults are obese.

“These diseases don't come out of nowhere,” Gu said. “If people don't understand the science behind all this nutrition, they're not going to pay attention to it.”

The FDA said the front-of-package labeling will not be effective immediately. The proposal includes a 120-day comment period, after which the agency can make additional changes to the proposal or finalize new rules.

The agency said large food manufacturers will make changes to most of their products within three years of the rule being finalized. Smaller manufacturers will have an extra year to implement the changes.

The Consumer Brands Association, an industry trade group, has opposed mandatory labeling, saying the FDA is considering “a plan with arbitrary proportions and symbols that could cause consumer confusion.”

Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy at the Consumer Brands Association, said in a statement that the organization is instead pushing the agency to collaborate on industry-led initiatives, including Facts Up Front, a program Allow food manufacturers to voluntarily summarize important nutritional information – such as calories, saturated fat, sodium and added sugars – on the front of packaging. Gallo said the industry has also rolled out smart labels where consumers can access detailed nutritional information via QR codes.

Do labels influence consumer habits?

Front-of-pack nutrition labels are not a new concept—at least outside the United States, dozens of countries including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand have implemented similar measures.

In 2016, Chile introduced mandatory front-of-pack labeling to alert consumers to high levels of sugar, saturated fat and other potentially harmful ingredients.

In 2022, Brazil will also make front-of-package labeling mandatory for products.

Colleen Tewksbury, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, said research shows labels do influence people's purchasing behavior in these countries.

However, she said the findings may not translate easily to the United States, where “individualism” prevails and consumers “don't want to be told what to do.”

People who change their buying behavior tend to be those who are already looking to make a change, she said.

“The research shows relatively clearly that very simple front-of-package labeling does get people's attention, but the second step is whether it changes purchasing behavior,” Tewkesbury said. “We really don't know if it will impact people's buying habits at all.”