Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2021 - 17

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1990 that mandated the labeling. The original
graphic included information for consumers
on all food packaging and identified calories,
total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, total
carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sodium, potassium,
and daily reference intakes for four vitamins
and minerals. In the years that followed the
launch of the label, more research was done on
the health risks of consuming trans-fat, and in
1999 trans-fats became required information
on the panel.
It was 26 years after the initial passing of the
NLEA when the FDA proposed an overhaul
of the Nutrition Facts regulations. This
initiative was under the leadership of Michelle
Obama, who championed for nutritional
health, especially for
school-aged children. The
proposed changes included
updated serving sizes to
more accurately reflect actual
consumption and a focus on
added sugars. The estimated
cost to the food industry to
update the labels was about $2
billion.
One focus of the Nutrition
Facts label overhaul was
to consider actual eating
consumption and behaviors of Americans. We
have instant availability of health information
and it's crucial to ask consumers what is
important to them, which is exactly what the
FDA did. According to NPD Dieting Monitor,
an ongoing tracker that captures consumers'
dieting behavior and eating intentions,
consumers mostly look at sugar and calorie
content of foods. After looking at sugar and
calories, people tend to look at sodium, total
fat, and total carbohydrates-in that order. A
goal with the new label will be to capture the
interest of those who have not used the label
before and to highlight what consumers are
seeking.
Once they came up with the design and
required information on the new label, the FDA
rolled out the requirements to manufacturers.
According to the FDA website, manufacturers
with $10 million or more in annual sales were
required to update their labels by January 1,
2020; manufacturers with less than $10 million
in annual food sales were required to update
their labels by January 1, 2021. Manufacturers
of most single-ingredient sugars, such as
honey and maple syrup, and certain cranberry
products, have until July 1, 2021 to make the
changes. These dates reflect extensions given in
2018. The FDA is working with the companies
to meet the stipulations.
Kristin Klinefelter, MS,
RDN, LDN uses the
Nutrition Facts label in
clinical and education
settings daily and still
finds it one of the most
practical and useful
tools when teaching
nutrition.
ONE FOCUS OF THE
NUTRITION FACTS LABEL
OVERHAUL was to consider
actual eating consumption
and behaviors of Americans...
consumers mostly look at sugar
and calorie content of foods,
followed by sodium, total fat, and
total carbohydrates.
So, go ahead and grab a package of your
favorite food and let's review those changes!
Removal of Calories from Fat
When it comes to increased risk of chronic
diseases like heart disease and diabetes,
current science supports that the type of fat is
more important than overall fat intake. The
2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
(DGAs) recommends that Americans
consume less than 10 percent of calories from
saturated fat per day starting at age two. For a
2,000-calorie diet, this is 22 grams of saturated
fat per day. A consumer can look at grams of
saturated fat to see if their food or meal fits into
Continued on page 18
NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | July-August 2021
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Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2021

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