For the majority of the graduate students out there, Nutrition Facts labels have always been present on the food products we purchase. However, Nutrition Facts Labels are a relatively recent requirement in our country’s history.
Several decades before the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) and its amendments required mandatory labeling, many products containing vitamins and minerals were voluntarily labeled. However, after the passage of the NLEA in the early 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all prepared and/or conventional food items be labeled.1 For those products that do not fall within general food items such as daily vitamins, separate labeling requirements have been established and those items are now referred to as “dietary supplements”. The objective of the NLEA was to reduce consumer confusion, help consumers make healthier food choices, and motivate manufactures to create more positive food profiles. (1) Overall, the Nutrition Facts label has not changed since its first release, with the exception of the addition of trans fat content in 2006. (1)
The average American diet and scientifically-based nutritional research has encountered several changes over the last 20 years, such as increases in poor dietary outcomes such as total intake of fat, foods eaten away from home, larger portion sizes, more on-the-go eating, and less time spent on eating. (2) That being said, the changes to the Nutrition Facts label proposed last week by the FDA are a much needed update to bring labels into the 21-century. If adopted, these changes will increase the understanding of nutrition science, update serving sizes and label requirements for certain packaged foods, and reformat the current label design. (3) The new design, which features bold lettering, will highlight key areas for consumer focus such as calorie counts, serving size, and percent daily values. (3) The proposed new rules will reflect new dietary recommendations, consensus reports, and national survey data. (3)
While this update to the Nutrition Facts labeling is much needed, I find it appalling that it has taken two decades for changes to take place. With this delay in research to policy, it is no wonder why American’s waistlines continue to grow? I agree, hands-down, that changes need to be made, but the effectiveness of the new labeling scheme is still up for debate. Will Americans understand calorie counts, serving size, and percent daily values any better because they are bolded?
These purposed changes to the Nutrition Facts label, if passed, will give public health officials a unique opportunity to educate and empower both individuals and communities on how to use these labels to make healthier choices when buying foods. These updates are much need, but will these changes be enough to truly help consumers?
References:
1.) Guide for review of nutrition labels. (2009, March 13). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/iceci/inspections/inspectionguides/ucm074948.htm
2.) Edelstein. (2011). Nutrition in public health. (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
3.) Proposed changes to nutrition facts labels. (2014, March 3). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm
4.) Stott, R. (2014, March 3). Health, industry groups respond to nutrition label revamp. Associations Now, Retrieved from http://associationsnow.com/2014/03/health-industry-groups-respond-to-nutrition-label-revamp/