The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing additional revisions to the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods. The supplemental proposal would, among other things, require declaration of the percent daily value (%DV) for added sugars.

The proposed rule is a supplement to the March 3, 2014 proposed rule on updating the Nutrition Facts label. The percent daily value indicates how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet and would help consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families.

The percent daily value would be based on the recommendation that the daily intake of calories from added sugars not exceed 10% of total calories.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recently summarized scientific data related to added sugars. The FDA considered the scientific evidence that the DGAC used, which showed that it is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie requirements if one exceeds 10% of total calories from added sugar, and has determined that this information supports this daily value for added sugars. The DGAC also recommended that Americans limit their added sugars intake to less than 10% of total calories. This and other recommendations from the DGAC, which is an independent advisory committee, will be considered in the development of the final 2015 Dietary Guidelines.

The FDA’s initial proposal to include the amount of added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label is now further supported by newly reviewed studies suggesting healthy dietary patterns, including lower amounts of sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, are strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

The FDA is also proposing to change the current footnote on the Nutrition Facts label to help consumers understand the percent daily value concept. In addition, the FDA is releasing results of its consumer studies on the declaration of added sugars and the footnote.

The FDA is seeking public comment on the proposal for 75 days. The agency continues to review comments received on the 2014 proposed rule and is reopening the comment period on its March 2014 proposal for 60 days to invite public comment on two consumer studies related to label formats. The agency will consider comments on the original and this supplemental proposed rule before issuing a final rule.

The FDA is accepting public comments starting July 27, 2015.

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