New FDA labels help consumers create a healthy diet

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that it will be updating Nutrition Facts labels on food products. With new scientific findings and a greater desire from the population to learn about each and every ingredient in their food, more information is a logical next step.

Here’s a look at what this “makeover” from the FDA consists of and how it will allow consumers to be better informed.

What’s changing?
The new information on labels will include scientific findings, updates and how the ingredients can affect consumers. The recommended serving sizes will be more realistic. Calories, calories from fat and sugar content will also be more accurate. Sugar information will now include added sugars to align with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The calorie count at the top of each label will be reflected in a bigger and bolder font to bring attention to it, in the hopes of connecting obesity, heart disease and other health problems to calorie overload.

The new labels will no longer include information about vitamins A and C. Instead, vitamin D and potassium will now be included. The FDA says the reasoning behind this choice is that Americans don’t tend to show deficiencies in vitamins A and C, so it’s not as helpful.

The percentage of a person’s daily recommended intake is also getting an update, as the new labels now include a more detailed explanation of the “% Daily Value” at the bottom of each label.

When will the changes be implemented?
The food product manufacturers that see $10 million or more in food sales have until 2020 to implement the new label. Those companies with sales that are less than $10 million can make the change by 2021. The FDA has reported that 10 percent of packages on the market already have the new label.

This transition could mean that consumers will see two different label types at the grocery store, which could cause some confusion.

How will these changes help consumers?
The FDA says that these changes will allow the population to make better-informed decisions about what they are putting into their bodies and how to better maintain a healthy diet. The updates reflect an overall change to the realistic amount of calories that people eat in America today. And with more details about the daily recommended intake of calories, people can better plan out their diets and understand what that calorie count really means.

When you’re ready to update your company’s labels to meet new requirements, check out our label printers at Optimedia Labs’ U.S. page or visit our Canadian site.