[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Will a new
food label finally turn the tide on obesity in America?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed a new rule that would require food manufacturers to repeat some aspects of the nutrition label -- typically found on the back of packaging today -- on the front of the package.
This would include the following items:
- Saturated fat
- Sodium
- Added sugar
FDA Food Labeling Changes 2025
In addition to listing these items, the FDA would note whether the levels present in the food product are considered to be “low,” “medium” or “high.”
The change is planned to go into effect as early as 2028 and is intended to help consumers see at a glance
whether the food products they buy pose a risk to their health.
Experts say poor eating choices are at the root of many health problems in the U.S., including the epidemic of obesity.
The
obesity rate among U.S. adults is nearly 42%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Poor diet also has been linked to a higher risk of being diagnosed with serious health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
When will the new food labels appear?
The FDA says it crafted the new labels after looking at research, getting input from consumer focus groups and examining feedback from an FDA-led study of nearly 10,000 adults that tried to gain insight into how people would respond to a number of proposed designs.
The proposal itself will be subject to a 120-day comment period. Once that time elapses, the FDA can either finalize the existing rule or make additional changes to it.
After a rule is finalized, large food manufacturers will have three years to add the new label to the front of food packaging. Smaller manufacturers will get an additional year to comply.
Will the new food labels help keep Americans healthier?
Many other countries already have labeling similar to what the FDA is proposing.
Research has suggested that in these nations – which include the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia and others – the labels have had some success in influencing people to make more healthful food choices.
However, there are questions about how effective the new labelling rules will be in the U.S.
A University of Florida study published earlier this year found that food labels intended to influence Americans to make better food choices sometimes backfire.
The study found that
food products labeled as "healthy" can be less attractive to consumers who either don't understand what the label is indicating, or who suspect that a product labeled as "healthy" will not taste as good, or will have other undesirable characteristics.
Amanda Sauceda, a California-based registered dietitian, is not convinced that the new label will be effective.
“I am not sure these new guidelines will make any huge difference with people’s purchasing habits,” she says
Sauceda suspects the new labels will likely be most helpful to those who already read labels to see if a food would meet their specific health goals.
Even if consumers do pay close attention to the labels, such information doesn’t tell the full story about the food inside the package, she adds.
“A problem with this new label is it can’t capture the nuance that every food has,” Sauceda says.
She says that consuming a single food item “isn’t going to make or break the diet.”
Instead, it is the overall pattern of eating – and the changes a consumer makes to their diet –that has the greater impact, she says.
“The trick with nutrition is there truly is no one size fits all,” Sauceda says. “That’s why labels should be a tool, but nutrition education-- with healthy cooking skills as part of that education -- is really at the heart of the matter.”
Using the new food label effectively
Still, Sauceda believes that the new label can lead to some positive changes.
“The new label could spark conversation,” she says. “And with that, there is an opportunity for education on what those nutrients are and why they’ve been highlighted.”
Ultimately, nutrition education is most helpful for people, as it allows them to “understand the ‘why,’ and then they can start to translate that info to their own life and diet,” Sauceda says.
If you want to get the most from the new labels – or even existing food labels – Sauceda recommends starting to pay closer attention to the labels on foods you frequently keep in hand.
“Since those foods are a standard in your kitchen, it’s good to know what is in them or what’s not,” she says.
Sauceda urges consumers to pay attention to two items in particular: sugars and fiber.
She notes that it’s “very easy to overdo added sugars” in your diet. The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 25 grams of added sugar each day. For men, it’s 36 grams.
“People would be surprised how easy it is to reach that number,” Sauceda says. “Added sugars are a recent addition to food labels, so many people might not even realize they are there.”
Focusing on fiber is important because more than
90% of people do not meet the recommendations for daily dietary fiber, which are 14 grams per 1,000 calories of food, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Eating more fiber is helpful for gut health, heart health, and for a healthy metabolism,” Sauceda says. “So, this nutrient is very important for overall health.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="183164" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1742332011779{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/top-seedz-crackers-gluten-free-sea-salt"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="183162" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1742332028973{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/bobs-red-mill-non-gmo-vegi-soup-mix"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="183163" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1742332070253{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/larabar-gluten-free-fruit-nut-bar-no-sugar-added-cherry-pie"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
