FDA to Modify Nutrition Label Guidelines

The U.S. FDA will modify guidelines for nutritional labels on packaged food and beverages to prominently display calorie count and servings, the regulator said.

This move comes at a time the regulator is staring at increasing childhood and adult obesity and lifestyle diseases such as heart problems in the U.S.

FDA said on May 20 that companies will have to adopt the new guidelines within two years.

“For more than 20 years, Americans have relied on the Nutrition Facts label as a leading source of information regarding calories, fat and other nutrients to help them understand more about the foods they eat in a day,” said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD. “The updated label makes improvements to this valuable resource so consumers can make more informed food choices—one of the most important steps a person can take to reduce the risk of heart disease and obesity.”

To learn what the new labels will include, click here.