Throughout the consumer packaged goods industry, one goal is consistent: improving products to meet consumer needs. This includes introducing new technologies to promote product transparency and help Americans make informed decisions about the foods and beverages they choose and rely on every day.
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, recently opined that the food and beverage industry should welcome front-of-pack labeling and join the movement. In fact, she has been working with the FDA for more than a decade to help the industry improve nutrition labeling for consumers.
One such proactive and collaborative approach to product transparency is an industry-developed initiative. Facts up Front puts important nutritional information, taken directly from the nutrition facts panel, on the front of food and beverage packaging. This simplified nutrition label includes calories, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars per serving. This allows consumers to quickly assess whether a product meets their nutritional needs and goals before flipping the package. Depending on the label, you may also find information about other beneficial nutrients, such as dietary fiber and calcium. Like the Nutrition Facts Panel, Facts up Front is an important tool for choosing foods that match dietary preferences and helps consumers identify the nutrients they need and those they want to avoid.
The industry also understands that some consumers want more detailed information than can be found on the packaging. His SmartLabel, another industry-developed tool, allows you to quickly scan a QR code to instantly find more detailed nutritional information.
We have researched, invested in, and implemented both Facts up Front and SmartLabel. Because they are common sense, easy-to-understand systems that effectively communicate the important nutrients and nutritional facts that consumers want. While Facts up Front increases transparency and supports nutrition literacy without compromising consumer choice by replicating existing information from the FDA-mandated Nutrition Facts Board, SmartLabel We’re taking it one step further.
To provide the most consumer-friendly labels, FDA must continue to rely on collaborative efforts with industry and data-driven research. This requires a holistic approach that includes important nutritional information, including calories and both recommended and restricted nutrients. Unless the FDA abandons its stated goal of developing a system that improves nutritional literacy, why is it promoting a plan that uses arbitrary scales and symbols that have nothing to do with nutrition?
It is also important that front-of-pack labeling is researched and developed through a transparent, measured and considered approach. This includes opportunities for feedback from stakeholders, such as requests for information from government agencies and public meetings and hearings with industry experts. For example, labels that use red, yellow, or green colors or stop signs (symbols commonly associated with “stop” or “go”) can be used by people suffering from any type of eating disorder, especially if they are on a restricted diet. It can actually cause harm to someone.
If FDA establishes a mandate without it With this input, implementation costs may outweigh the benefits for both manufacturers and consumers.
We agree with Brown that “good nutrition starts with education.” That’s why we’re proud that our industry has been working with FDA for more than a decade to improve access to important nutrition information, promote nutrition literacy, and help consumers achieve their own nutritional status. Masu. Set dietary goals through Fact up Front and his SmartLabel initiative. Manufacturers of American food and beverage brands continue to provide safe, affordable and convenient products that consumers want, need and can trust.
Sarah Gallo is vice president of product policy at the Consumer Brands Association.
