Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it will crack down on the potentially misleading symbols some food companies are using on their products to flag health benefits. This initiative is the agency's first major effort to control nutrition information on food packaging since it introduced the Nutrition Facts label 15 years ago.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, stated that existing front-of-the-package labeling programs may mislead consumers by focusing on the presence or absence of selected nutrients while ignoring others that have an impact on health. For example a label may announce a product contains no trans fat, but omit the fact that the item is high in saturated fat or contains a lot of sugar. Hamburg also noted that front-of-the-packages messages make is less likely that consumers will look at the complete Nutrition Facts label.
Hamburg announced that FDA is currently working on a proposal defining criteria for front label claims made by food manufacturers and retailers. She expects FDA to release the proposed standards - which will probably mandate information on saturated fat, salt, added sugar and calories - in several months.
I think both of Dr. Hamburg's points are well taken. It is time for FDA to step into this issue. I hope FDA also looks at two additional facets of the nutrition labeling conundrum: First, we need safeguards in place to ensure manufacturers cannot add extraneous nutrients to foods in order to qualify to use a label claim. Second, we need FDA's new plan to acknowledge the importance of considering the whole diet. Foods that do not carry a front-of-the-package health claim are not by definition "bad" foods; they simply may require portion control and moderation. Consumers who understand this can manage and enjoy their food intake based on the concept of the whole diet. Let's hope FDA introduces a powerful consumer education effort when it implements its new labeling rules. Registered dietitians can help make this happen. Make sure your voice is heard.
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