4 huge changes coming to food nutrition labels
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced 4 huge changes coming to food nutrition labels.
This marks the first redesign in over two decades, the FDA noted. Most companies will have to conform to the new labels by July 2018. However, manufacturers who sell less than $10 million in products annually have until 2019 to change their labels.
[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”#228B22″ class=”” size=”17″]The first lady, Michelle Obama, helped announced the changes saying: “You will no longer need a microscope, a calculator or a degree in nutrition to figure out whether the food you are buying is actually good for our kids.”[/pullquote]
Let’s take a closer look at the 4 huge changes coming to food nutrition labels.
New nutrition labels
1. Added sugars are labeled clearly:
The dangers of sugar are well documented. Recent research has shown that high sugar intake can greatly increase heart disease risk, and a new MRI technique even confirmed that cancer cells feed on sugar.
The new labels will clearly show how much added sugars are in the food you are eating, and the percentage of calories those sugars make up according to a 2,000-calorie limit.
2. “Calories from fat” is gone:
This is a significant change, because according to the new U.S. dietary guidelines, some fats are actually good for you. Studies show that it is better to eat healthy fats in foods like avocados, butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and omega-3s.
3. Serving sizes make more sense:
Servings sizes will now be re-calibrated to better reflect the way Americans eat. For example, a 20-ounce drink will now be considered as a single-serving, and ice cream servings will go up from 1/2 a cup to 2/3 cup.
4. More emphasis on the vitamins we need:
The FDA will no longer require companies to label the amount of vitamin A and C in their products, because Americans are not deficient in these vitamins. We are however, deficient in vitamin D and potassium, so more emphasis will be put on these.
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REFERENCES:
1. “4 Major Changes Are Coming To Food Nutrition Labels.” HuffingtonPost.com. The Huffington Post, n.d. Web. 28 May 2016.
2. “FDA Modernizes Nutrition Facts Label for Packaged Foods.” FDA.gov. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, n.d. Web. 28 May 2016.
3. “The 5 Best Healthy Fats for Your Body.” Dr Axe. Dr Axe, 31 July 2015. Web. 28 May 2016.
