While this blog has chronicled a host of issues that could crop up with the way that food labels are displayed, it appears that many could be alleviated by one single piece of legislation that looks to bring federal guidelines in this area up to date on multiple fronts.
According to the text of the bill, posted on the Center for Science in the Public Interest, this Act is designed to alter the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, with the biggest focus being what it is calling “a single, standard front of package labeling system” to be used universally and cut down on misconceptions among users.
Not only does this label, proposed recently by New Jersey State Representative Frank Pallone, require tighter means of display of calorie and sugar counts, it also takes issue with two of the specific terms that food labels can use in a misleading fashion: “natural” and “healthy.”
In a press release on his official website, Congressman Pallone described his confidence in this bill and said it might help to combat obesity in this country.
“The Food Labeling Modernization Act is a comprehensive approach to updating labels so that consumers have the clear, consistent information they need when making important decisions about the food they buy and give to their families,” he said. Interestingly, dietary supplements are not included in this legislation.
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