The FDA is proposing several changes to nutrition labels on food packages. We asked Nicolette Pace, M.S., R.D. and nationally recognized nutrition and lifestyle expert, why the change is so important and how it will help us make healthier eating choices. Here is what she shared with Organic Spa Magazine:
Putting calorie counts in large type and adjusting portion sizes to show how much Americans actually eat will help people understand better what they are really eating.
In order to reduce obesity rates, the new labels will have a distinct line separating the amount of sugar in the food as well as the amount of manufactured sugar added to the food.
The new changes are meant to make labels easier to read and easier for the consumer to understand. This is a huge change because this has been a problem when it comes to choosing healthy food.
The amount of potassium and Vitamin D is now going to be on the label along with calcium and iron. This is due to the fact that they are new “nutrients of public health significance.”
The new labels will provide dual column information to show nutritional information per serving and per package. This will help people be able to easily understand how many calories and nutrients they are getting if they consume the entire package at one time.
The calories and serving sizes will be the more prominent part of the label due to their direct relation to current health issues including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
These clearer labels will allow eating healthier to be a more realistic goal in Americans day-to-day food choices.
It is possible that, due to the FDA’s new food label regulations, food companies will start offering healthier choices for consumers. (Now that their bad choices will be more clearly labeled.)
It’s also possible that these new and improved labels will influence healthier alternatives.
With everything out in the open on these labels, consumers can no longer get away with not doing the math of how many calories were in those 2.5 servings that they just consumed. The number will now be in large, bold type so there will be no way to excuse poor diet.
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