In May of 2016, the FDA published the final rules on the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods. The new label is already appearing on packages, but for the “big” food manufactures (annual sales over $10 million), they’ll be required to make the change by January 1st, 2020. (Some segments have until January or July of 2021.)
The current food label is over 20 years old. The new label reflects updated scientific research (particularly in regards to sugar, salt and fat) and is also in response to our needs and habits as modern day consumers.
Upon announcing these new labels, FDA administrator Dr. Robert Califf explained,
“This is not about telling people what they should eat. It’s about making sure that they know what they’re eating,”
In 2016, Michelle Obama helped announce these new changes. She added,
“Very soon you will no longer need a microscope, a calculator or a degree in nutrition to figure out whether the food that you’re buying is actually good for your kids, so that’s a phenomenal achievement,”
The FDA reports these changes to the Label:
Serving Sizes will be more prominent:
- Here you’ll see a bigger and bolder typeface making it easier to identify and read.
Servings per container will be modified:
- By law, serving sizes must be based on amounts of foods and beverages that people are actually eating, not what they should be eating.
Calories will be bolder:
- Like the serving sizes, Calories will have a bigger, bolder typeface making it easier to pinpoint at a glance. Whether you’re trying to bulk up or slim down, calories consumed can be an important factor.
No more “Calories from Fat”:
- While labels must still list “Total Fat,” “Saturated Fat,” and “Trans Fat”, they won’t include the “Calories from Fat” line because research shows the type of fat is more important than the amount.
“Added Sugars” will be required:
- This includes sugars added during the processing or packaging process. This will help consumers distinguish whether the sugars are naturally occurring (i.e., from fruit used as an ingredient) or if it’s an additional ingredient.
Changes to Vitamins & Minerals:
- Iron and Calcium remain on the required list, however, Vitamin D & Potassium have now been added. Listing Vitamin A and Vitamin C will be voluntary, as Americans rarely have deficiencies in these vitamins.
Updates to the “% Daily Values” footnote:
- The language of the footnote at the bottom of the nutrition label is being updated to illustrate and explain the meaning of %DV more clearly.