Washington – Accurate front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPNL) helps both consumers and food companies by ensuring consumers have access to appropriate nutritional information when making product choices in the store. However, limited nutritional information in front-of-package systems can cause consumers to miss out on important information that could help them make healthier food choices. New research released today by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) and supported by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) highlights the need for balanced front-of-pack nutritional information. Read the full study here.
Regarding the study, IDFA Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Roberta Wagner released the following statement:
“These results make it clear that providing additional information such as calories and nutrients as part of the front-of-pack nutrition label, in addition to saturated fat, sodium and added sugars, can help consumers correctly identify the healthiest labels. We want consumers to trust that FOPNL information accurately reflects a product’s overall nutritional value and density. This research highlights the value consumers place on comprehensive nutrition information and their lack of trust in labels that omit part of the bigger picture.”
“As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposes a mandatory and standardized FOPNL system for packaged foods, it is important that consumers are provided with balanced and broader nutritional information to ensure that nutritious dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are fully characterized to reflect calcium, protein, vitamin D, potassium and other nutrients.”
“IDFA is encouraged by the results released by IFIC and hopes that these findings will be incorporated by the FDA into its nutrition-related policymaking. Mandating a FOPNL scheme that focuses solely on added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium could have the unintended consequence of reducing consumer trust and consumption of nutrient-dense products recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, such as dairy products.”
International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)Headquartered in Washington, DC, IDFA represents the U.S. dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3.2 million jobs, generates $49 billion in direct wages and a total economic impact of $794 billion. IDFA members range from multinationals to single-plant businesses, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all of whom are at the forefront of innovation and sustainable business practices. These companies represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, fermented products and dairy ingredients produced in the United States and sold around the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious dairy products provide unparalleled health and consumer benefits for people of all ages.
