What the new FDA Nutrition Facts labeling means for you

Have you ever scarfed an entire bag of potato chips before realizing it contained a whopping four servings? The way food companies label products can be confusing and misleading (who eats half a granola bar?). Now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods. The FDA says these changes are in response to “the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease.”

But will these updates make the average American healthier?

“While we won’t see these changes go into effect for a while, I do think they’ll make a difference for people who already check food labels,” says Jennifer Teems, MS, RD, LD, a clinical dietitian at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.

What to expect

Left: current version; Right: proposed changes

Courtesy of U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Under the proposed changes, labels will:

List the amount of added sugars.
Make the calorie count more prominent with a larger font.
Revise the serving size to a more realistic portion (e.g., a bottle of soda may count as one serving, not 2.5).
List the amount of calories in the entire container.
Remove vitamins A and C from the labeling. Studies show most Americans are not deficient in these vitamins.
Add values for potassium and vitamin D. Research has indicated some populations are low in potassium, which can lower blood pressure, and vitamin D, which is important for bone health.
Remove calories from fat, but continue to list total fat, saturated fat and trans fat.

The most impactful change

“The most impactful change is labeling added sugar,” she explains. “The American Heart Association recommends limiting the calories from added sugar to 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories per day for men.”

Under current guidelines, the sugar value includes both added and naturally occurring sugar.

“Once added sugar is labeled, people will be more aware of it and may make healthier choices,” Teems says.

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