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Proposed Nutrition Info box would show saturated fat, sodium and added sugar content on front of food packages in a simple “Low,” “Med” or “High” format.
The Food & Drug Administration has proposed requiring a new type of nutrition label on the front of most packaged foods. This front-of-package (FOP) label is not intended to replace the traditional and more informative Nutrition Facts panel already found on most foods but would be in addition to it as a way to provide simple, “at-a-glance information” that helps people quickly and easily identify foods to include as part of a healthy diet.
The new label, referred to as the Nutrition Info box, would show the saturated fat, added sugar and sodium content of a packaged food in a simplistic “High,” “Med” or “Low” format, with the intent of making this key information more visible on food packages. The agency explained that it singled out sodium, saturated fat and added sugars for the role they play in overall health and chronic diseases when consumed in excess.
If finalized, the proposed rule would require food manufacturers to add a Nutrition Info box to most packaged food products three years after the final rule’s effective date for businesses with annual food sales of $10 million or more and four years after the effective date for businesses with under $10 million in annual food sales.
Comments on the proposed rule can be submitted electronically to http://www.regulations.gov by May 16, 2025.
FDA conducted extensive research exploring the creation of a standardized FOP nutrition labeling scheme before submitting its new proposed rule to the Office of Management & Budget in November 2024. The proposal is informed by a body of research FDA conducted that included a scientific literature review, consumer focus groups and a peer-reviewed experimental study.
The agency led consumer focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of three different FOP labeling options and found that a simple black-and-white version showing the percent daily value of each nutrient performed best for helping participants find and understand the information so they can then identify healthier food options and compare similar products.
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) also commissioned consumer research on FOP food labeling to better understand how consumers perceive, prioritize, use and interpret such labels, intentionally designing its study to align closely with FDA’s indicated direction for a labeling scheme and gathering consumer reaction to FDA’s FOP label prototypes.
The council hosted a webinar last month with IFIC senior director of research and consumer insights Kris Sollid and IFIC president and chief executive officer Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak sharing key takeaways from the research as well as FDA’s efforts to develop standardized nutrition labeling for the front of food packaging.
The FDA proposal plays a key role in the agency’s nutrition priorities as part of a government-wide effort to address chronic disease and the health care crisis, according to its announcement.
“A large body of research indicates that a major contributor to this problem is excess consumption of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. There is a proliferation of foods in the food supply that are considered ultra processed, which often contain high levels of these nutrients. The Nutrition Info box is focused on providing accessible information to help consumers quickly and easily identify how foods can be part of a healthy diet,” FDA stated.
“The science on saturated fat, sodium and added sugars is clear,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf, adding, “It is time we make it easier for consumers to glance, grab and go. Adding front-of-package nutrition labeling to most packaged foods would do that. We are fully committed to pulling all the levers available to the FDA to make nutrition information readily accessible as part of our efforts to promote public health.”
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, issued a statement in response to the FDA proposal noting that the agency “is taking an important step to make nutrition information clearer and more accessible and to empower consumers to make informed choices for their health and the health of their families.
“Front-of-pack nutrition labeling has been adopted by other countries and has been shown to improve consumer understanding, drive healthier purchases and incentivize companies to reformulate products to be healthier. We look forward to reviewing and providing feedback on FDA’s proposal and working closely with the new Administration to make front-of-pack nutrition labeling a reality in this country,” Brown added.
“Food should be a vehicle for wellness, not a contributor of chronic disease,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones. “In addition to our goal of providing information to consumers, it’s possible we’ll see manufacturers reformulate products to be healthier in response to front-of-package nutrition labeling. Together, we hope the FDA’s efforts, alongside those of our federal partners, will start stemming the tide of the chronic disease crisis in our country.”
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