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15 January 2025

FDA makes push for front-of-pack nutrition information on packaged foods

FDA makes push for front-of-pack nutrition information on packaged foods

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing mandatory front-of-pack nutrition information for most packaged foods, in a bid to help combat the nation’s chronic disease crisis.


If finalised, the proposal would give consumers readily visible information about a food’s saturated fat, sodium and added sugars content – three nutrients directly linked with chronic diseases when consumed in excess.


Food manufacturers would be required to add a ‘Nutrition Info’ box to the front of most packaged food products, three years after the final rule’s effective date for businesses with $10 million or more in annual food sales, and four years after the rule’s effective date for businesses with less than $10 million in annual food sales.


The proposed Nutrition Info box shows whether foods have low, medium or high levels of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars, complementing the FDA’s Nutrition Facts label, which gives consumers more detailed information about the nutrients in their food.


According to the FDA, it has carried out a substantial body of research to inform the proposed Nutrition Info box, including a scientific literature review, consumer focus groups and a peer-reviewed experimental study exploring consumer responses to three different types of front-of-pack labels.


The experimental study showed that the black and white Nutrition Info scheme, with the Daily Value percentages, performed best in helping consumers identify healthier options.



Robert M Califf, FDA commissioner, said: “Nearly everyone knows or cares for someone with a chronic disease that is due, in part, to the food we eat. It is time we make it easier for consumers to glance, grab and go.”


He added: “We are fully committed to pulling all the levers available to the FDA to make nutrition information readily accessible as part of our efforts to promote public health”.


Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are the leading cause of disability and death in the US, driving the nation’s $4.5 trillion in annual healthcare costs. Research indicates that excess consumption of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars is a major contributor to this.


In a statement announcing its proposal, the FDA noted a ‘proliferation’ of ultra-processed foods in the supply chain, often containing high levels of these nutrients. The Nutrition Info box forms just one aspect of a broader, government-wide approach to improving nutrition and reducing chronic diseases in the US, alongside other recent initiatives such as updated regulations around making ‘healthy’ claims on food, work to develop a ‘healthy’ symbol, and the draft phase two voluntary sodium reduction targets.


Jim Jones, FDA deputy commissioner for human foods, commented: “Food should be a vehicle for wellness, not a contributor of chronic disease”.


“In addition to our goal of providing information to consumers, it’s possible we’ll see manufacturers reformulate products to be healthier in response to front-of-package nutrition labeling. Together, we hope the FDA’s efforts, alongside those of our federal partners, will start stemming the tide of the chronic disease crisis in our country.”


Comments on the proposed rule can be submitted to regulations.gov by 16 May 2025.


#US #FDA #UPF #labelling #nutrition

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