Scientists Urge US Government to Meet Compliance Deadline for Nutrition Labels

22 May 2017 --- As US food industry groups continue to urge the government to delay the July 2018 compliance date for the updated nutrition facts label, consumer advocacy group and non-profit watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) claims that more than 40 scientists and researchers from across the country are calling for the date to stand.

CSPI says scientists are urging Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to maintain the July 2018 compliance date - while objectors are asking for a delay until May 2021. 

Last May, the FDA announced the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect the most current scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease. The new label will make it easier for consumers to make informed food choices, it says.

Under current proposals, large companies will be required to comply by next July and smaller companies have longer to come on board, with those selling US$10 million or less per year having until July 2019 to comply. 

The Nutrition Label has been around in the US since the 1990s. However, the review says it needs to be updated to better reflect today’s most up-to-date information on food. 

“Americans consume added sugars, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, in amounts that are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, and nutrient-poor diets,” the scientists and researchers wrote to Price and Gottlieb. “The new Nutrition Facts labels would also tell consumers how much of a day’s worth of added sugars a serving of food contains.”

They stress that the updated label in important because it allows consumers to follow the advice from the leading global health organizations. 

“Without those labels, consumers cannot follow advice from the government’s own Dietary Guidelines for Americans, American Heart Association, World Health Organization, and other health authorities to cut back on added sugars.”

The key updates to the Nutritional Label include an updated design to highlight “calories” and “servings,” two important elements in making informed food choices; requirements for serving sizes that more closely reflect the amounts of food that people currently eat. What and how much people eat and drink has changed since the last serving size requirements were published in 1993. By law, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, requires that serving sizes be based on what people actually eat; declaration of grams and a percent daily value (%DV) for “added sugars” to help consumers know how much sugar has been added to the product. It is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie limits if you consume more than 10% of your total daily calories from added sugars, and this is consistent with the scientific evidence supporting the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

For a full list of updates, see a previous story on FoodIngredientsFirst, NutritionInsight's sister publication, when the news first broke in May last year.