March 14, 2019
Unless a person suffers from a food allergy or some other dietary restriction, there’s a good chance they will not even glance at the nutrition label. In fact, less than one-third of people report frequently reading the nutrition label, according to a 2018 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Many consumers are tricked by “healthy” claims on the front of packaging, or placement of products in the health food or organic aisle.
To combat that, a new citizens’ petition asks the FDA to update its regulations for these claims, Fast Company reported:
“We realized that the entire nutrient content claim regime was broken,” says Daniel Lubetzky, CEO of the snack company KIND, which worked with public health experts on the petition. (Kind makes products like a dark chocolate, nuts, and sea salt bar that lists the sugar content on the front.)
Kind granola bars are known for their straight-forward packaging that list their sugar count on the front of each individual bar.
RELATED READ: Nutrition Fact labels gets a makeover — here's what they look like
“By bringing greater rigor to the use of nutrient claims, FDA can increase label transparency and help people better identify foods that contribute to a healthy diet, which KIND has long advocated for,” Lubetzky explains.
Per Runner’s World, the petition urges the FDA to make it standard for companies to make it known on the front of food packages if there’s a lot of sugar or fat in the product in addition to being a “great source of fiber.” The petition is also urging the FDA to disclose the amounts of trans fats and added sugars.
If the FDA does decide to make any changes based on this petition, it won’t be the first time food packaging underwent an overhaul. In fact, it has made a whole host of changes to food labels throughout the past few years.
Most recently, in 2016, the government agency announced that Nutrition Facts labels had to show the latest scientific info, including how a poor diet is related to things like heart disease and obesity.
Runner's World noted:
The calorie count was made larger, the serving sizes were updated to be more realistic, and the number of servings per package were bolded, too.
It’s worth noting that some companies have already made these changes on their products, however they all have to be updated by January 1, 2021.
