U.S. FDA proposes comprehensive labeling of products containing sugar, salt, and fat

On the 13th (local time), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new proposal mandating the labeling of sugar, salt, and fat content on the front of food and beverage products. The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 14th that this is the product of long-term efforts to change eating habits related to the rapid increase in obesity and diet-related diseases, which cause one million deaths every year.

The label presented by the FDA indicates the content of sugar, salt, and fat contained in the product in three levels: high, medium, and low. These three nutrients have been linked to the rapidly rising rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure in the United States. According to the FDA, more than 60% of U.S. adults suffer from these three chronic diseases, resulting in $4.5 trillion in annual medical costs.

“Almost everyone knows or cares for someone with a chronic illness,” said FDA Commissioner Robert Caliph. “This is partly caused by the food we eat.” “Now is the time to make it easier for consumers to see, grab and leave,” said Caliph.

The proposal follows three years of research by agency scientists that considered front-of-package labels used in different countries. After reviewing research on the effectiveness of these labels, the FDA designed several labels and used focus groups to ensure that the information conveyed was easy to understand. The label released by the FDA on this day is the label that received the highest score in a focus group consisting of 10,000 people.

Food manufacturers must comply with the regulations for up to four years once they are finalized. It is unclear whether this rule will continue in the next Trump administration. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, has been vocal about the growing reliance on ultra-processed foods and has pledged to change Americans’ eating habits.

Nutrition experts said they were generally satisfied with the look and content of the new labels. “This proposal is a real step forward in our efforts to provide better information to consumers,” said Peter Lurie, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which first petitioned the FDA to adopt front-of-package labeling in 2006. “However, it would have been better if we had chosen a nutrition warning format that was more likely to have a positive impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions,” he added.

Food and beverage manufacturers criticized the new regulations, saying the “Facts up Front” label, which the industry voluntarily adopted in 2011, was more preferable. Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy at the Consumer Brands Association (CBA), which represents the industry, issued a statement criticizing the FDA’s proposed labels, saying they lack important information such as calorie count and whether they contain high levels of nutrients key to a healthy diet. did it

The announcement, made in the final days of the Biden administration, follows two decades of calls by nutritionists, doctors and public health activists for the federal government to take a more active role in helping consumers make healthier choices as they walk through supermarket aisles. It is a product of hard work. It is also an extension of the FDA’s recent efforts to improve America’s eating habits. Last month, the FDA updated its definition of the term “healthy” on food labels, tightening restrictions on saturated fat, sugar and salt. In August, it issued voluntary guidelines aimed at pressuring food manufacturers to lower the sodium content of processed and packaged foods.