FDA unveils proposed front-of-package nutrition labels

“Referred to as the ‘Nutrition Info box’, the new label proposal would provide accessible, at-a-glance information about saturated fat, sodium and added sugar. That would then be accompanied by the existing Nutrition Facts label elsewhere on the package. Current federal dietary recommendations advise US consumers to limit these three nutrients. These would be rated as ‘low’, ‘med’, or ‘high’. Calories, however, would not be included in the Nutrition Info box: although a manufacturer could declare these voluntarily on the front of package, per existing FDA regulations…

One ramification of including added sugar in the box could be an increased reliance on non-nutritive sweeteners so that products can claim to be low or medium in added sugars.

“The Sugar Association supports transparency, but this draft label offers only the illusion of transparency – it entirely leaves out total calories and the use of industrial additives like artificial sweeteners,” said Sugar Association President and CEO Courtney Gaine, PhD, RD.

“In fact, by singling out added sugars, FDA is once again knowingly incentivizing proliferation of artificial sweeteners that hide behind chemical names Americans do not recognize – including in food for children.

“We support the goal of limiting added sugars to less than 10% of total calories, but this should not be achieved by misleading consumers or manipulating the food supply with more additives. Most Americans prefer to avoid low- and no-calorie sweeteners in food, and health organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about their widespread use.”

Read the full article here: https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2025/01/16/fda-unveils-proposed-front-of-package-nutrition-labels/