Updated Nutrition Facts Label: Sugar Will No Longer Be a Guessing Game

The FDA has finally updated the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged food. The process only took 9 years and 943 pages (1, 2). The label changes reflect the goal of communicating the link between diet and chronic disease to consumers (3). In the image below, the current Nutrition Facts label is shown on the left and the new Nutrition Facts label is shown on the right.

Nutrition Fact Label Changes:

The main changes to the nutrition facts label include (3):

1. Increased font size for “Calories”, “Serving Size” and “servings per container”.
   
   
2. “Calories” will be listed in bold. This will make it easier for consumers to see how many calories are in a serving and a package.
   
   
3. Values for vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium are required. Americans are obtaining enough vitamin A and vitamin C and these nutrients are no longer required to be listed. Americans are not obtaining enough vitamin D and potassium, and these nutrients are new requirements for the label. Vitamin D does not naturally occur in a wide variety of food sources and the values listed on the new label will most likely represent fortified sources.
   
   
4. A statement defining the % Daily Value will be included. The following statement will be added, "The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice". Because the % Daily Value is based on a 2,000 calorie diet and not everyone eats a 2,000 calorie diet, it is best used for comparing product information.
   
   
5. Serving size update. Standardized serving sizes have been increased to represent the larger portion sizes people are now eating. The example used by the FDA (3) is a serving of ice cream. The old serving size was 1/2 cup. The new serving size has been increased to 2/3 cup. A serving of soda has been increased from 8 ounces to 12 ounces. In addition, a package of snacks, such as chips, that could be consumed in a single sitting or in multiple sittings, will have two columns of nutrient information. One column for calories and nutrients per serving and one column for calories and nutrients per package.
   
   
6. Calories from Fat will be removed. Total fat, saturated fat and trans fat will still be listed. The number of calories in the product from fat will no longer be required. This change was made to better reflect new research on the health effects of fat (3). The type of fat consumed is more important than the calories from all types of fat.
   
   
7. Manufacturers are required to list "Added Sugars". This is, perhaps, the most celebrated change. Manufacturers are now required to list the grams of sugar added to products.
   

Added Sugar

The FDA states that this change reflects updated information about nutrition science (3). The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests no more than 10% of calories should come from added sugars (4). The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 5% of total calories from added sugars. This means the AHA recommended intakes for added sugar are as follows (5):

• Women: 6 teaspoons or 24 grams
• Men: 9 teaspoons or 36 grams
  

One 12 ounce serving of soda has, on average, 23 grams of added sugar.

In the past, manufacturers were only required to list total grams of sugar. This would include naturally occurring sugar in plant food and lactose from milk, as well as added sugar. The consumer has been left to guess, or guesstimate, the amount of sugar added to a product.

Sugar Industry Exposed

Last year, Roberto Ferdman exposed the sugar industry in a Washington Post article. Documents, dating back to the 1950s, showed the industry’s use of political influence to skew government medical research on sugar’s role in the development of tooth decay (6). In addition, The American Beverage Association, spent almost $40 million in 2009 battling a possible federal tax on sugar sweetened drinks (6).

Not surprisingly, The Sugar Association expressed their disappointment of the ruling to require added sugars on the label, citing a lack of scientific justification. The association brazenly claimed that this unprecedented action by the FDA could “deter us from our shared goal of a healthier America” (7).

Most Americans Consume Too Much Added Sugar

As seen in the chart above, from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, most Americans are exceeding the recommended upper limit for added sugar (9). What might be most disturbing is the added sugar intake in young children. Evidence suggests that limiting added sugars, in conjunction with a healthy eating pattern, is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer (8). Most health organizations recommend limiting added sugar intake. More information on sugar.

Manufacturers will need to comply with the new Nutrition Facts panel regulations by July 26, 2018 (3).

References

1. Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. 21 CFR Part 101. Food and Drug Administration. Department of Health and Human Services. To be published on 5/27/2016. https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-11867.pdf. Last accessed on May 24th, 2016.
2. Nestle, M. The FDA’s New Rules for Food Labeling Are Finally Here. A step toward better health and less obesity, especially in children. May 24, 2016. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-fda-s-new-rules-for-food-labeling-are-finally-here/
3. Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. May 20, 2016. http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm
4. Key Elements of Healthy Eating Patterns. Chapter 1. Key Recommendations: Components of Healthy Eating Patterns. Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020. United States Department of Agriculture. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/key-recommendations/
5. Added Sugars. American Heart Association. Last updated February 9, 2016. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Added-Sugars_UCM_305858_Article.jsp#.V0YV2mY0uDM. Last accessed May 25, 2016.
6. Ferdman, R. The untold story of how the sugar industry shaped key government research about your teeth. Wonkblog. The Washington Post. March 11, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/11/the-sneaky-way-the-sugar-industry-shaped-government-funded-dental-research/
7. The Sugar Association Statement on FDA’s ‘Added Sugars’ Declaration. May 20, 2016. https://www.sugar.org/the-sugar-association-statement-on-fdas-added-sugars-declaration/
8. A Closer Look Inside Healthy Eating Patterns. Chapter 1. Key Recommendations: Components of Healthy Eating Patterns. Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020. United States Department of Agriculture. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns/
9. Figure 2-9. A Closer Look at Current Intakes and Recommended Shifts. Chapter 2. Key Recommendations: Components of Healthy Eating Patterns. Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020. United States Department of Agriculture. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-2/a-closer-look-at-current-intakes-and-recommended-shifts/
   
10. The Sugar Cube modified with text by Smudge 9000 on FlickrCC, CC BY-SA 2.0.