FDA Calls for New Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed requiring a new label on the front of most packaged food and drinks aimed at helping Americans make healthier choices. The agency says the at-a-glance nutrition labels will allow consumers to quickly assess levels of sodium, sugar and saturated fat in packaged foods and drinks. The FDA believes these are the nutrients most linked to chronic diseases and are major drivers of annual healthcare spending. The new label is designed to complement and not replace the Nutrition Facts label on the back of packaged foods. If this nutrition label proposal takes hold, it would be interesting to see if manufacturers reformulate products to be healthier in response to increased consumer awareness. If finalized in 2025, the FDA says large food manufacturers would have three years to add the new labels while smaller food manufacturers would have an additional year.