As of second quarter 2020, the FDA is supposed to begin enforcing the new nutrition label requirements. This may of course be delayed; however, the new label is now already on many food packages.
This is the first label update since 2006 and actually was approved way back in 2016. It was set to go into effect in 2018, but food manufacturers successfully lobbied for an additional 2-year delay.
A few of the changes are:
- More realistic serving sizes. This is based on the usual portions that most Americans consume, for example, instead of ½ cup of ice cream a serving is now 2/3 cup. A soda container or snack food packaging listed as 1.5 or 2 servings but consumed as one serving must now accurately state that it is one serving.
- Larger and bolder font for calorie counts. This should make it easier to see and compare while shopping.
- Listing the type of fat and not just ‘calories from fat’ since type matters more than the amount.
- Most importantly, including added sugars on the label to distinguish between foods that contain sugar – such as milk and fruits – to the sugar added to foods for example, yogurt and cereals.
More Information: Nutrition Facts Label