FDA overhauls nutrition labels on food

The Obama administration finalized a rule Friday to update Nutritional Fact Labels on food products.

The updates included a new design for the label to highlight calories and serving sizes, as well as new serving sizes that more closely reflect the amount of food people are eating. The update will include dual columns that list both “per serving” and “per package” calorie and nutrition information for certain products consumed in one or multiple sittings like a pint of ice cream or 3-ounce bag of chips.

The rule also includes a provision that forces food producers to list the grams and a percent daily value for added sugar. Food groups up in arms over the new requirement have accused the Food and Drug Administration of pushing forward without the proper science to back it up.

The Sugar Association has said a public health link between a nutrient and a disease and some sort of quantitative number that is based on science is needed to justify labeling decisions.

The FDA said it added the value after the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee issued a recommendation — now part of the final federal guidelines — that Americans limit their added sugar intake to less than 10 percent of their total daily calories. Critics say that amount was solely based on intake estimates and not sound science.

Other changes to the label include a requirement for products like a 20 ounce soda that’s consumed in one sitting to be labeled as one serving, updated values for nutrients like sodium, dietary fiber and vitamin D, and a declaration for Vitamin D and potassium that includes the actual gram amount in addition to the percent daily value.

Food producers will no longer have to list “calories from fat,” but “Total Fat,” “Saturated Fat” and “Trans Fat” will remain.

“For more than 20 years, Americans have relied on the Nutrition Facts Label as a leading source of information regarding calories, fat and other nutrients to help them understand more about the foods they eat in a day,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.

“The updated label makes improvements to this valuable resource so consumers can make more informed food choices — one of the most important steps a person can take to reduce the risk of heart disease and obesity.”

Most food manufacturers will be required to use the new labels by July 26, 2018. Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have an additional year to comply with the new rules.