Food Nutrition Labels Changing!

We are always emphasizing to patients the importance of being aware of what they are putting into their bodies. With whole foods that is less of a concern, but most foods other than produce and meats will have multiple ingredients and the need for a nutrition label. This is where some basic information can be gained if someone is trying to improve their health or lose weight and change their body composition. Many people “just eat” day by day without regard to knowing exactly what or how much they are putting in their bodies and this is where the food labels can add some benefit. And thankfully, the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods in the United States is about to get a long-awaited facelift, with a redesign emphasizing realistic portion sizes and added sugars.

The updated design will highlight "calories" and "servings," and show how many grams of sugar have been added to a food, along with the percent daily value (%DV) for "added" sugars. Serving sizes will better reflect how much people really eat and drink. For instance, foods that can be eaten as either multiple servings separately or all at once (whether they should be or not…) - such as a bag of chips or a pint of ice cream -- will contain both "per serving" and "per package" calorie and nutrition information. Hopefully this will help people better understand how many calories and nutrients they are getting if they eat or drink the entire package or container at one time!

Other changes include updated daily values for salt, dietary fiber and vitamin D. Fiber is important for proper gastrointestinal health and many people do not consume the minimum recommended 25 grams per day. Vitamin D and potassium content will include both total grams and the percent daily value. Some people are deficient in these nutrients, putting them at higher risk for chronic disease, the FDA said. The new label must be used by July 26, 2018, by most manufacturers. However, food makers with less than $10 million a year in sales will have until 2019 to comply.

The inclusion of identifying “added sugars” is a major step forward in helping combat the ever-present issue of obesity. Many foods have added sweeteners in the form of corn syrup, rice syrup, barley malt and others that add to the overall calorie content of the food but do not add anything else beneficial from a nutrient standpoint. Many foods that have been changed to proclaim lower or reduced fat content have frequently substituted sugar in some form to maintain a level of texture or palatability at the expense of being concerned with overall calorie content. And since sugar is a major source of inflammation, the less of it in our bodies the better. While it will still be some time before these new changes roll out, they will be a welcome addition in helping people take better control of their health.