Even in supermarkets, with their kaleidoscope of items: dozens of cereals, walls of jam in glass jars, and parades of soup cans, there has been relatively little change in the way those foods are packaged. The front of a can or box has a main label with the product name and sometimes clever marketing copy, while nutritional information is summarized in a standardized panel on the back. However, this was not always the case.
Food labeling began in the United States in the early 20th century with the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. The law focused primarily on requiring food manufacturers to display accurate ingredients as a way to prevent adulterated or misbranded food from being sold. And drugs. In subsequent decades, standards became even more stringent. By 1940, federal regulations required food labels to include an accurate listing of ingredients as well as the name and address of the manufacturer and distributor.
Subsequently, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990 was passed, which now requires most packaged foods to include a standardized Nutrition Facts panel on the back. This panel provides information on key nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, and sugars. And cholesterol.
At the time, experts suggested the move would give customers a clearer picture of what they were putting in both their shopping carts and on their bodies. “When consumers try to buy healthier foods, they are faced with confusion and frustration,” said Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, then Secretary of Health and Human Services. “The grocery store has become a Tower of Babel, and consumers need to be linguists, scientists, and mind readers to understand the many labels they see.”
Now, more than 30 years later, there is a major movement to change nutrition labels again, and this bill would change nutrition labels. front The proposal is gaining traction among public health advocates and lawmakers, but has also faced some pushback from food manufacturers.
In 2022, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, along with the SNAP Association of Nutrition Education Administrators and the Association of State Public Health Dietitians, filed a regulatory application with the FDA asking the FDA to “use its authority to establish simple nutritional management. ”, a standardized, evidence-based, mandatory front-of-pack labeling system for all packaged foods sold in the United States. ”
CSPI also recommended descriptive nutrition labels on the front of the package to further assist consumers in making decisions about the foods they consume. Similar initiatives have been successfully implemented in other countries. For example, the UK has adopted a “traffic light” system that uses red, amber and green color coding to show at a glance the calorie, fat, sugar and salt content of different foods.
The petition prompted the FDA to evaluate various labeling options, which are still under consideration, and in the meantime, lawmakers are joining the fray.
In late December, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced the Transparency, Readability, Understandability, Truth, and Usefulness (TRUTH) in Labeling Act, which will be sold in the United States. Interpretive labels for food and beverage package lists were also requested. America.
“For too long, food companies have led Americans astray. If consumers could know how much sodium, sugar, and saturated fat is in their food, they would be more likely to decide what to buy.” may think again,” Schakowsky said in a statement. “I am proud to join Senator Blumenthal in introducing Truth in Labeling Law. Our bill creates a consumer-friendly nutrition labeling system on the front of food packages. is one of the leading causes of preventable disease in the United States. We are doing everything we can to increase transparency in food labeling and help consumers make informed dietary decisions. It has to be done.”
“Front-of-pack labels, which are standard in many other countries, help consumers get accurate and easy-to-understand information about the food they buy.”
Blumenthal said in a statement that “truth in labeling laws” ensure that it is clear to customers which foods “contain high levels of nutrients of concern.”
“Front-of-pack labels, which are standard in many other countries, help consumers get accurate and easy-to-understand information about the food they buy,” he said. “Prominently displaying salt, sugar and saturated fat content empowers consumers to make healthy choices for themselves and their families.”
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, praised the push for front-of-pack labels in an April editorial in Agripulse.
“Millions of families face significant barriers to healthy, affordable food and beverages,” she writes. “While it won’t solve all of these challenges, front-of-pack labeling will make it easier and faster for all consumers to make healthy choices, regardless of their income level or region. Interpretive design, rooted in science, responsive to consumer needs, easy to understand, and required to appear on all packaged foods, could be a game-changer for equitable health. and could change the landscape of the products we put on our shelves.”
As Mr. Brown pointed out in his commentary, some members of the food industry, such as the Consumer Brands Association and the Food Industry Association (FMI), are pushing back against the movement, citing specific concerns about the objectivity of interpretive labels. Certain aspects of it are repellent.
“The consumer goods industry is aligned with its goal of increasing product transparency and helping consumers make informed choices,” Sarah Gallo, vice president of product policy at the Consumer Brands Association, said in an email. told Salon in a statement provided. “Contrary to the perception that the industry is opposed to front-of-pack labeling, the industry has been active in efforts to improve the accessibility of nutrition information for more than a decade.”
Gallo points to Facts Up Front, a voluntary program that displays important nutritional information on the front of the package to facilitate quick evaluation by consumers. Additionally, the industry introduced his SmartLabel, allowing consumers to access detailed nutritional information via her QR code.
“FDA is currently considering systems that use arbitrary scales and symbols that can cause consumer confusion and inhibit access to products that contribute to healthy dietary patterns,” Gallo said. Stated. “The agency will build on existing collaborations with food and beverage manufacturers and retailers to consider data-based labels that enhance important nutrient information, such as calories, nutrients to be encouraged, and nutrients to be restricted. It is necessary to continue.”
However, a 2023 national survey found that 75% of U.S. consumers across a variety of demographics support mandatory front-of-pack labeling. This needs to be kept in mind by the government as the ‘Truth Representation Act’ has been referred to since its introduction. The bill is being submitted to the House Health Subcommittee.
Update: This article Consumer Brand Association.
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