Last updated on March 3rd, 2017 at 11:19 am
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently finalized a new Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods and beverages to better help consumers make informed food choices that support a healthy diet. Manufacturers will need to use the new label by July 26, 2018, and small businesses will have an additional year to comply. During this transition time, consumers will see the current Nutrition Facts label or the new label on products.
The Nutrition Facts label has a fresh design and reflects current scientific information, according to the FDA. Changes include:
• The number of servings per container and the serving size is more prominent on the label, and serving sizes also have been updated to reflect what people actually eat and drink today.
• The new label emphasizes calories with larger and bolder type. Calories from Fat will no longer be listed, because research shows the type of fat consumed is more important than the amount.
• The Daily Values for nutrients have been updated based on new scientific evidence. The Daily Values are amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day and are used to calculate the % Daily Value (%DV). The %DV makes it easy for consumers to tell how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.
• Added sugars is now required on the label to help consumers know how much sugar has been added to the product. Vitamin D and potassium also are required on the label because Americans do not always get the recommended amounts, the FDA reports. Vitamins A and C are no longer required since deficiencies of these vitamins are rare today.
