The US Food and Drug Administration has unveiled a proposal to mandate a front-of-pack nutrition label for most packaged foods to help “consumers identify healthier food options”.
The move is part of efforts by the US government to tackle chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, which are the leading causes of death and disability in the US.
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In 2022, US President Joe Biden unveiled a plan to combat diet-related diseases by introducing a front-of-package labelling system.
If finalised, the Nutrition Info box would display whether a product’s saturated fat, sodium and added sugars are “low”, “medium” or “high”.
The proposed label is similar to the existing Nutrition Facts label that provides information about the nutrients in the packaged food on sale in the US.
Under the FDA’s proposals, announced yesterday (14 January), manufacturers with annual sales of $10m or more would have three years to comply, while smaller businesses would have four years. The regulator has opened a period for feedback that runs to 16 May.
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By GlobalDataFDA commissioner Robert Califf said: “Nearly everyone knows or cares for someone with a chronic disease that is due, in part, to the food we eat. It is time we make it easier for consumers to glance, grab and go.
“Adding front-of-package nutrition labelling to most packaged foods would do that. We are fully committed to pulling all the levers available to the FDA to make nutrition information readily accessible as part of our efforts to promote public health.”
The FDA cited studies it said indicates many ultra-processed foods on sale in the US are high in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
Jennifer Hatcher, chief public policy officer of food industry body the Food Industry Association (FMI), described the proposal as “the best-suited scheme”.
However, Hatcher raised concerns about the logistics of implementing the proposal, noting that the “FOP scheme would be required to appear on the upper third of the principal display panel”.
The requirement, she said, would necessitate “redesigning of most packaging labels”, and could potentially “displace” critical information such as date labels.
Hatcher emphasised that such changes would lead to substantial cost increases with minimal public health benefits.
Dr Peter Lurie, president of US NGO Center for Science in the Public Interest, described the proposal as “long overdue,” emphasising its “potential to usher in healthier consumer purchases, incentivise companies to produce healthier products, and stem the rising tide of preventable conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease”.
Lurie hoped that when the FDA finalises the policy the agency will consider the growing “international evidence” supporting the “High In”-style labels adopted by other countries, including in South America.
