US to overhaul nutrition policy after 53 years, radical systemic changes needed

24 Aug 2022 --- The US task force on hunger, nutrition and health has submitted a consensus report with recommendations to the White House on how to improve nutrition, end food insecurity and reduce diet-related diseases across the country. Policy proposals include increased resources to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), tax incentives to industry and improved nutrition education.

The report aims to rebuild the US food and nutrition policy since the original White House report in 1969. It has been compiled by a team of experts ahead of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. 

“It is clear that the challenges of food insecurity, diet-related diseases and health inequities intersect with and exacerbate each other and that radical systemic changes across multiple sectors are needed to adequately address them. Achieving the 2022 White House Conference goals of ending hunger, improving nutrition and reducing diet-related diseases in the US calls for a modern, multi-sector, coordinated national strategy,” the report says.

The policy recommendations are centered around four pillars: improving food access and affordability, integrating nutrition and health, empowering consumers to make and have access to healthy choices, enhancing nutrition and food security research. 

“In September 2022, federal agencies and other diverse stakeholders will convene for a second White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to face some of the country’s most prominent food and nutrition challenges – persistent food insecurity, increasing prevalence of diet-related diseases and widening health disparities,” the report adds.

The experts seek to create a new national nutrition science strategy focused on prevention and treatment of diet-related conditions.Transforming nutrition
A key policy recommendation includes federal nutrition programs, with an aim to expand eligibility, simplify enrollment and improve convenience for participants. It also outlines the importance of increasing nutrition security by promoting dietary patterns that align with the latest Dietary Guidelines.

Researchers however have recently slammed the guidelines for being rife with conflicts of interest and racial disparities.

“About one in ten US households were food insecure at least sometime during 2020, and suboptimal diets and the proliferation of diet-related diseases, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes, have contributed to a situation in which only one in 15 US adults have optimal cardiometabolic health,” the experts flag.  

“Youth are also affected – one in four have prediabetes, one in four are overweight or obese and one in eight have diet-related fatty liver disease.” 

It’s all on the label 
Experts from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Food Systems for the Future, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and World Central Kitchen were involved in the making of the report. 

They recommended the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) develop an effective front-of-package (FOP) labeling scheme that uses a transparent, uniform and science-based nutrient profiling system. “This could include key dietary components such as nutrients of public health concern, food-based ingredients and other factors prioritized by the dietary guidelines.” 

The policy calls for increased resources for updated ingredient lists on food packages to make them easier to read and understand, including aggregating various types of added sugars, refined grains, and non-nutritive sweeteners and using common names for food colors and vitamins.

Across the EU, countries are attempting to reach standardized nutrition labeling on products. Singapore also recently announced it would be adopting Nutri-Grade labeling by 2023.

The experts suggest the FDA should encourage online retailers to make efforts to post a clear, legible Nutrition Facts label and ingredient list. Meanwhile, online retailers should ensure the product label matches the online disclosure. Recently, an investigation revealed the majority of immunity supplements advertised on Amazon are largely mislabeled and misleading.

The report calls for better accountability for federal agencies. 

Tax incentives 
According to the report, investment in public health infrastructure needs to be strengthened, and coordinated to address hunger, nutrition and health. The policy outlines Congress should establish a new deputy commissioner for foods at the FDA, with direct authority over the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. 

The experts suggest more FDA funding, a long-standing discussion between the agency and industry, amid accusations the FDA is unable to do its job and carry out proper inspections. 

Congress should also provide tax incentives to the private sector for the marketing of nutritious foods that are under-consumed by the US population, the experts add.

Additionally, they recommend Congress should require employers to provide paid time off for breastfeeding mothers to nurse or express breastmilk during the work day. “The federal government should incentivize or encourage participation in evidence-based breastfeeding promotion programs.” The experts also call for more funding for breastfeeding education, amid increasing supply shortages of infant formula across the US.

By Andria Kades

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