The Food and Drug Administration is poised to add new restrictions on the use of the term “healthy” in food.
News promotion: The agency released proposed rules Wednesday, including dietary guidelines for Americans, which it said would “align the definition of ‘healthy’ claims with current nutritional science.”
- Under current regulations, about 5% of packaged foods are labeled as “healthy,” according to the FDA.
- “A healthy diet can lower your risk of chronic disease. But too many people may not know what healthy food is.” Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said in a statement: “FDA’s move will help educate more Americans to improve their health, address health disparities, and save lives.”
Important reasons: According to the FDA, more than 80% of U.S. residents “do not eat enough vegetables, fruits, and dairy,” while “most people eat too much added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium.”
Line spacing: The new rules require “healthy” foods to:
- “Contains in meaningful amounts at least one food of a food group or subgroup”, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products.
- Contains limited amounts of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. For example, “healthy” items cannot exceed 10% of his daily recommended amount of sodium per serving.
Be smart: The move appears to target specific items that claim to be good for you, such as sweet cereals.
- In its 105-page proposed rule, the FDA states that under current federal definitions, some “ready-to-eat cereals that may be high in sugar” are healthy. It is said to be one of the foods that can be said.
Opposite side:”[We] We support efforts to increase consumer choice and transparency,” said Roberta Wagner, vice president of regulatory and technical affairs at the Consumer Brands Association, an industry group. fulfilled. ”
What’s next: In an announcement on the sidelines of the White House Hunger, Nutrition and Health Conference, the FDA will:
- Develop a front-of-package (FOP) labeling system to manage health claims.
- Publish voluntary guidelines recommending lower sodium content.
- Conduct public meetings to evaluate ways to reduce added sugar.
(Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include comments from the industry body Consumer Brands Association.)
