Jan. 14, 2025 – Packaged foods may soon be required to have disease-related nutritional information printed on the front.
The proposed new labeling would highlight how much saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar is in a single serving of a package food product based on recommended daily intake, as well as a characterization of whether that amount is considered low, medium, or high.
The FDA took the first step toward the new requirement Tuesday, although the new labels may not show up on store shelves for several more years. Those three nutritional aspects were selected because cutting back on them are known to reduce the risk of serious diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
The proposed front-of-package label would use the same black-and-white design and font that is already used for the detailed nutrition facts information, which is usually on the back or side of a package.
“While many consumers use and benefit from the Nutrition Facts label, regular use of the label is lower among some segments of the population,” an FDA news release stated. “The Nutrition Info box would quickly provide context for consumers on the front of food packages by detailing and interpreting (through ‘Low,’ ‘Med,’ or ‘High’ descriptions) the relative amount of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars in a serving of food. Other countries have successfully implemented [front-of-package] nutrition labeling, and our research and other data show that our proposed Nutrition Info box could be useful for U.S. consumers.”
If implemented, the new requirement would go into effect in three years for businesses with at least $10 million in annual food sales. Businesses with less than $10 million in food sales would need to comply after four years.
