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FDA issues new draft food labeling guidance
Posted on the 11th April 2023
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued new draft guidance aimed at reducing the burden of chronic disease and advancing health equity through improved nutrition.
The proposals provide food manufacturers with recommendations on how and when to use Dietary Guidance Statements on the label of food products to ensure the label statements promote good nutrition, provide greater consistency in labeling, and assist consumers in making informed choices.
The move is part of the FDA’s overall nutrition initiatives, which include empowering consumers by providing them with more informative labeling and education.
This includes the addition of tailored messages for various audiences to help consumers identify foods that can contribute to healthier diets.
In September 2022, the FDA issued a proposed rule to update the definition of ‘healthy’ on food labels to help make healthy food choices easier to identify.
This followed its guidance in October 2021 regarding short-term targets for a broad range of processed, packaged and prepared foods to reduce the amount of sodium in the U.S. food supply.
Diet-related chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. The FDA says this can be combatted by helping consumers make informed choices about the foods they eat through improved labeling and dietary advice.
Meanwhile, the agency is progressing with additional nutrition and labeling priorities, including exploring a “front-of-pack” labeling initiative and recommendations for nutrition labeling for online grocery shopping sites.
The FDA is also researching strategies to reduce added sugar consumption across the country.
Related: Plant-based diet could cut bowel cancer risk in men by 22 per cent