The proposed “Nutrition info box” would show customers whether products have low, medium or high levels of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars.
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Food manufacturers may have to put nutritional labels on the front of packaged foods within the next few years, according to a proposal the United States Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.
The front-of-package labels would be required for “most packaged foods” and they are part of the FDA’s attempt to push back against the country’s chronic disease crisis, the announcement said.
The label, also called the “Nutrition info box,” would show customers whether products have low, medium or high levels of the following:
- Saturated Fat
- Sodium
- Added Sugars
Community members have until May 16 to submit comments on the nutrition info box at www.regulations.gov.
If the proposal is approved, food manufacturers who make $10 million or more in annual food sales will have three years to add the labels to their packaging, while businesses with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have four years to comply.
FDA: Chronic diseases are the leading cause of disability and death in the U.S.
According to the FDA, saturated fat, sodium and added sugars have been “directly linked with chronic diseases” when individuals consume too much.
The agency added that chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are the leading cause of disability and death in the U.S., and 60% of Americans have at least one chronic disease.
Chronic diseases are also the leading cause of the $4.5 trillion spent on annual healthcare in the U.S., the FDA said.
“A large body of research indicates that a major contributor to this problem is excess consumption of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars,” the FDA said, adding that lots of foods sold in stores are “ultra processed” and contain high levels of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars.
The FDA said it has also conducted its own research. In 2023, the agency did an experimental study of nearly 10,000 adults to see how consumers respond to three different types of nutritional labels.
The study found that the black and white nutrition info scheme with the percent daily value best helped customers choose healthier foods.
FDA: Labels are part of Biden-Harris Administration’s program to combat illness, obesity
According to the FDA, the nutrition info box is also part of the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to reduce diet-related diseases by 2030.
The strategy is comprised of five major goals, including:
- Improving food access and affordability by increasing access to free and nourishing school meals, providing Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) benefits to more children and expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility.
- Integrating nutrition and health by working with Congress to lead coverage of medically-tailored meals in Medicare.
- Giving customers the tools they need to make healthy choices, including the proposal of the front-of-package labeling scheme.
- Supporting physical activity for all by expanding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program to all states and territories.
- Enhancing nutrition and food security research by securing funding that improves metrics, data collection and research.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said in the announcement that the FDA wants to make it easier for shoppers to look at products in stores, get the information they need and make a choice in a reasonable amount of time.
“Adding front-of-package nutrition labeling to most packaged foods would do that,” Califf said in the announcement.
FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones also made comments in the news release, adding that “food should be a vehicle for wellness, not a contributor of chronic disease.”
To read the full version of the proposal, visit www.tinyurl.com/NutritionProposal.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on ‘s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at [email protected].
