Greg Hrinya, Associate Editor07.29.15
The FDA has already revised a proposal for nutritional labels to include the amount of added grams of sugar. In addition, the daily percent value (% DV) of those added sugars would be listed in much the same way as other key nutrients.
The Nutrition Facts label was introduced 20 years ago, and the only significant change during that time period was the inclusion of trans fat labeling.
The goal is to inform the public about its daily sugar consumption, compared to what is recommended. The FDA states that people should not consume more than 10% of their daily calories from added sugar–although research shows that Americans get 16% of their total calories from added sugars. The FDA adds that people over the age of four should not consume more than 50 grams of added sugar per day. A 20-ounce soda could contain 66 grams of added sugar, though.
Not only would the label reflect the grams of added sugar, it would also display that that value is 132% of a person’s daily recommendation.
A label redesign would have a significant impact on the printing industry. Both foods and beverages would need new labels, with the new graphics highlighting larger typeface for calories and servings. Additionally, imported foods would need to meet the label criteria, as well. In order to keep up with the new mandates, food companies could opt for label and package redesigns altogether.
Currently, more people are paying attention to food labels. The FDA cites research claiming that “the percentage of respondents reporting that they ‘often’ read a food label the first time they purchase a food product rose from 44% in 2002 to 54% in 2008, and, among these consumers, two-thirds reported using the label to see how high or low the food was in components such as calories, sodium, vitamins or fat. More than half said they used labels to get a general idea of the nutritional content of the product.”