Under a new rule proposed yesterday by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), food manufacturers would be required to put new labels on the front of packages flagging key nutrition information on salt, added sugar and saturated fat, reported the Wall Street Journal.
“Those three nutrients are commonly used to produce hyper-palatable foods viewed as risk factors for chronic diseases shortening Americans’ lifespans. The proposed changes are also aimed at addressing childhood obesity,” according to the Washington Post.
According to reports, the proposed label is black and white and would also include how much of the three substances the products contain by the percentage of the daily recommended maximum.
The Washington Post called the proposal “a last-ditch attempt by the Biden administration to put its stamp on the nation’s food policy.”
The move sets up a potential clash with food companies, wrote the WSJ. Industry groups “have argued that there is little evidence showing that front-of-package labels would change consumer behavior, and that existing nutrition labels offer consumers enough information.”
Studies generally have found that front-of-package nutrition labels lead people to identify and choose healthier foods, according to WSJ. Chile, Mexico and other countries now require them on food and beverage containers, while others such as France, the U.K. and Australia have voluntary programs.
FMI, The Food Industry Association, called the rule “overly simplistic,” contending that a focus on just three nutrients will not educate consumers on how to improve their diets, wrote the Post.
In 2023, NACS Daily reported that Americans trust food labels. “Generally, consumers trust—or, at least, don’t distrust—the labels on their food. This trust is significantly lower for claims about the health or naturalness of food, claims which may often be more nebulous or more clearly motivated by marketing objectives,” said Jayson Lusk, who leads Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability.