The Food and Drug Administration is issuing new standards for food manufacturers marketing healthy foods in an attempt to clear up confusion over nutrition facts, reduce diet-related diseases, and help consumers maintain healthy dietary practices. The FDA is revising the definition of “healthy,” updating the term to reflect current advances in nutrition science and federal dietary guidelines.
The FDA plans to publish the updated definition this April in addition to the later release of a new logo aimed at identifying healthy foods. According to the FDA, three percent of manufactured foods qualify to be marketed as healthy. Under the administration’s new definition, fruits and vegetables will automatically qualify to be stamped with the FDA’s new logo, but other foods will be required to meet certain nutrition standards. Several food manufacturers will be affected by the FDA’s new definition and symbol for healthy foods, including manufacturers of frozen food meals which will largely be impacted, CBS News reports. In the administration’s current definition, there is no cap limit for added sugars. This is one of the several components that proposals to the new definition intend to amend, to better reflect current advances in health science.
In the initial proposal to the new definition, the limit for added sugars was set at 2.5 grams, or less, per serving size. Limits for sodium were proposed to be restricted to 230 milligrams, or less, per serving size. Additional nutrition limits were proposed to the administration’s new rule, including limits for saturated fat, according to the New York Times. The FDA will be in the process of developing their new logo for identifying healthy foods roughly 6 to 12 months after their updated definition of “healthy” is published this spring. The FDA aims to help clarify healthy food choices for consumers and reduce the number of chronic diet-related diseases in the United States. In the FDA’s new definition of “healthy,” a food product must contain at least one food group from a mix of vegetables, fruits, dairy, proteins, and specific oils.
The new definition will have a significant impact on the food market, as many products currently considered healthy, from breakfast foods to frozen dinners, will no longer qualify to be marketed as such. The FDA is currently working on another initiative aimed at improving the healthy food choices of consumers; front facing nutrition labels. A proposal for nutrition labels to be printed on the front of food product packaging is due to be published this June. The efforts of the FDA will impact consumer choices and help inform shoppers of the nutritional value of the food product they choose to purchase at the grocery store.
For the readers, what are your thoughts on the FDA’s new proposals and rules? Will this new definition change your grocery shopping habits?
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