Nutrition Labels: How They’re Going to Change

March 9, 2014

by Cathe Friedrich

It’s about time! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is planning changes to the nutrition labels on packaged products you buy at the grocery store. The FDA is hoping these changes will help people make smarter nutritional choices. Of course, the best way to make wise nutrition choices is to stick with mostly whole foods. Whole foods don’t need a label because they contain one ingredient and what you see is what you get. Of course, there may be times when out of convenience you have to buy a packaged item. How will nutritional facts labels change with this overhaul?

Nutrition Label Changes – Finally, The Time Has Come

It’s been almost twenty years since nutrition labels have undergone a major change. These changes will affect all packaged foods with the exception of some meat, poultry and egg products. Why the change? Consumers find information on nutritional labels to be difficult to interpret. Plus, unless you read the fine print, they can be misleading.

If you look at the top of a nutrition facts label on a product the first thing you see is the serving size and servings per container. An old trick manufacturer’s use is to make a serving size unrealistically small. This makes the calorie count per serving smaller too. Look on most ice cream packages, the serving size is usually listed as a half-cup. How many people eat that little? Only people with an incredible amount of will power! The FDA is recommending changing the serving sizes on a number of products, including ice cream, to reflect how much people typically eat. So, the serving size on ice cream will be increased to a cup.

The calorie count will reflect this change so people can get a more realistic idea of how many calories they’re consuming. The calorie count will also be easier to see. The font size will be larger and the calorie count will be bolded so you can’t miss it. The new label will also list total servings in the container in a larger, bolder font. Too often people assume the calorie count is for the whole package on smaller items whereas the package may contain two or even three servings.

New Emphasis on Sugar

One of the biggest changes in the nutrition facts label will be the way sugars are displayed. Currently, the total grams of sugar in a product are listed – natural and added sugar. The new nutrition facts label will list total sugar AND added sugar. Hopefully, this will help consumers see how much sugar is added to packaged products so they can make more informed choices. Previously, the emphasis has been on displaying fat on food labels but it’s becoming apparent that sugar is more likely the major fuel behind the obesity epidemic.

How will fat be displayed on the new labels? You’ll still see total fat listed in grams as well as the amount of saturated fat and trans-fat in a product. The FDA is currently taking steps to remove trans-fat completely from the food supply by no longer recognizing them as “generally accepted as safe.” Trans-fats are linked with elevated LDL-cholesterol, inflammation and a greater risk for heart disease. Products can currently list “zero” grams of trans-fat if a product contains less than 0.5 grams per serving. Keep reading the ingredient list to make sure hydrogenated oils aren’t listed. These are trans-fats. Calories from fat will be eliminated from the new labels. You’ll also see total carbs, total cholesterol, dietary fiber and grams of protein listed as they currently are on labels.

Other Proposed Changes to Nutrition Labels

With the awareness that most people don’t get enough vitamin D, vitamin D content will be listed along with calcium, iron, and potassium on nutrition facts labels. Vitamin D and calcium are important for healthy bones while potassium helps with blood pressure control. Vitamin A content will not be listed on the new labels since most people get enough of this vitamin in their diet. Vitamin C will also not be listed on the new proposed labels.

In addition, the percent daily value that tells you how much of your nutritional requirement for the day you’re meeting by eating a serving of a particular food would be moved the left so it’s easier to see. Since some people don’t understand what percent daily value means, there will be a footnote with an explanation so people have a better understanding of how much of their nutritional requirements are being met when they eat a particular food.

Will These Changes Make a Difference?

A survey carried out by the FDA showed people are reading food labels more often. In 2002, only 44% of people read the nutritional label before purchasing a product. By 2008 that number had risen to 54%. If these changes make the labels easier to read and understand, the number of people who read the label should continue to grow. That’s a good thing!

The Bottom Line?

Choose mostly whole foods that are one ingredient and don’t need a label. When you buy a packaged product always read the label AND the ingredient list. The nutrition facts label won’t tell you whether the product is completely free of trans-fat, whether there’s high-fructose corn syrup or if a product contains ingredients you don’t want in your diet. The proposed nutrition facts label changes should make it easier for everyone to be more informed about what they’re eating.

References:

Medscape.com. “Food Nutrition Labels Get Major Overhaul”

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Proposed Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label”