The United States Food and Drug Administration officially made a request Thursday for a change to food labels after previous hints surfaced that the modifications might be coming the government agency reported in a press release.
"Our guiding principle here is very simple: that you as a parent and a consumer should be able to walk into your local grocery store, pick up an item off the shelf, and be able to tell whether it's good for your family," United States First Lady Michelle Obama said in a a statement. "So this is a big deal, and it's going to make a big difference for families all across this country," Obama said in the statement.
The changes would include an emphasis on the amount of calories, and serving sizes people consume to tackle obesity, putting new figures for how many added sugars are in each food product, providing information about a food items Potassium and vitamin D contents while making listing numbers for vitamin A and C optional, measurements for the required quantity of each nutrient the body needs each day, and only have total fat, saturated fat, and trans fat categories on the labels instead of calories the press release reported. Click here for the rest of the changes.
"The purpose of the nutrition panel is to support consumers to choose healthy diets in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans," Michael Taylor deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine at the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement at a news conference Thursday Health Day News reported. "It is also important that the labels stay up-to-date," Taylor said in the statement.
"By revamping the Nutrition Facts label, FDA wants to make it easier than ever for consumers to make better informed food choices that will support a healthy diet," Taylor said in the statement. "To help address obesity, one of the most important public health problems facing our country, the proposed label would drive attention to calories and serving sizes."
The FDA last adjusted the label's Trans Fat information in 2006 the AP reported.
"For 20 years consumers have come to rely on the iconic nutrition label to help them make healthier food choices," Margaret Hamburg, commissioner at the FDA said in a statement. "To remain relevant, the FDA's newly proposed Nutrition Facts label incorporates the latest in nutrition science as more has been learned about the connection between what we eat and the development of serious chronic diseases impacting millions of Americans," Hamburg said in the statement.
