The only thing constant in life is change, or so I’ve heard. While some people deal with change better than others, there is a change coming that will affect all of us. Are you ready?
On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed that our Nutrition Facts label is getting a makeover. That’s right: The iconic black and white labels displaying nutrition information on food and beverage packaging will soon have a new look. Some of you (i.e. Millennials and Generation Z-ers) may find this hard to believe, but nutrition information wasn’t always required to be revealed. A quarter century ago, on November 8, 1990, President George H. W. Bush (No. 41) signed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act into law. Three and a half years after that, on May 8, 1994, the NLEA provisions became mandatory. The Nutrition Facts label officially became a thing.
Since that time 22 years ago, the Nutrition Facts label has stood relatively unchanged, with two exceptions. The lower profile of the two changes came in 1995, when Daily Values for additional nutrients were set. The more prominent change to the Nutrition Facts label took effect in 2006 when trans fats information was included. But that’s it — two changes in just over two decades. If only we could all age as gracefully.
Here are four important changes you’ll notice about the new Nutrition Facts label, plus what they mean for you.
[See: The 38 Best Diets Overall.]
1. Including Added Sugars
The most debated of all the label updates made by the FDA. The agency’s decision to include added sugars information stems from the recommendations of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to eat less than 10 percent of our calories in the form of added sugars. Presently, we eat about 13 to 17 percent.
Having added sugars displayed on the label is thought to help bring consumption more in line with recommendations. We’ll know more about the impact of this after the new labels begin appearing on packages on July 26, 2018.
The new line for added sugars will also show a % Daily Value, which represents the percentage of the recommend amount we should eat each day. Like the other %DVs, the one for added sugars is based on a Daily Reference Value, or DRV. The FDA-established DRV for added sugars is 10 percent of total calories, the same number as recommended by the DGA. Unlike every other DRV, the one for added sugars is not established by the IOM. I’ve written about this difference in more detail here.
The science behind sugars science is complicated, but using the label doesn’t have to be. To apply added sugars information appropriately, keep these three things in mind:
— To determine the amount of sugar in a serving of a food or drink, look at the Total Sugars line. The amount of added sugars displayed on the label is included (as “Includes Added Sugars” indicates) in the Total Sugars line. Don’t add the two lines together.
— To determine the amount of naturally-occurring sugars, simply subtract added sugars from total sugars (i.e. 12-10 = 2 grams in the label shown above)
— Added sugars are just one thing to consider. Don’t lose sight of the bigger nutrition picture.
Education will need to be an integral part the new label rollout, particularly when it comes to added sugars. In fact, that’s what the “E” in NLEA stands for. Consumer research from FDA and IFIC Foundation confirms this.
2. Calories: Bigger and Bolder
Because overweight and obesity impact the majority of our population (7 in 10, according to recent CDC data), the biggest and boldest move from FDA focuses on calories. That’s right, the calorie content of our food and drink just got harder to miss. What’s the rationale behind this move? While some calorie sources are packed with more nutrition than others, all calories have an effect on our weight. Balancing our calorie intake with physical activity can help keep us at a healthy weight. Getting the right amount of nutrients while maintaining a healthy weight is vital. While this label change brings calories to the forefront of the label, it doesn’t change the importance of looking down the entire label to see what else your potential food choice has in store.
[See: Dietary Guidelines Do-Over.]
3. Serving Sizes: No Need to RACC Your Brain Anymore
Serving sizes have always baffled people. “How are they even determined?” I’m often asked. Many people take serving sizes as recommendations when they are, in fact, required by law to be based on how much of a certain product people typically eat — the technical term is known as Reference Amount Customarily Consumed, or RACC. Problem is, they haven’t been updated since 1993. We don’t eat the way we used to, and the latest consumption data shows this change is way overdue. Here’s a quick example of the update in action:
— The reference amount for yogurt is decreasing from 8 ounces to 6. Does anyone typically leave some in their cup? I would guess not, hence the change — because most yogurts come in 5- to 6-ounces packages.
4. Calories From Fat: Erased From Existence
Unlike Dr. Emmitt Brown observing the McFly clan disappearing before his very eyes, you may not have noticed “Calories from Fat” on the label. If you haven’t, then you won’t suffer any separation anxiety once it’s gone. If you have noticed it, here’s why the FDA is removing it. Once upon a time, dietary fat was viewed as something to avoid — like the plague. Well, times have changed. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize the importance of including healthy fats in our diet. Displaying the number of calories from fat doesn’t help us understand which kind of fat the calories are coming from. If you’ve read my thoughts on fats before, this may sound familiar: Fats are like fonts, it’s the type that matters most. That’s what the best available scientific evidence tells us.
[See: 8 Weird Ways Obesity Makes You Sick.]
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Face the Facts: the New Nutrition Label Is Finally Here originally appeared on usnews.com
