The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods back on May 20^th. The current nutrition label is more than 20 years old. The FDA felt the change was needed so that consumers can have the most accurate nutritional and serving information about the food.  Food and beverage manufacturers have until July 26, 2018 to comply with these new changes.

The new label was created to reflect new scientific information. The purpose of the new label is to make it easier for consumers to make better food choices.

The major changes to the label i are modifying the list of required nutrients on the label, updated serving size requirements, and a new design.

The biggest change to the nutrition label is its appearance. The general look of the label is the same, but the changes were made so consumers could read certain components of the label easier.  The type size was increased for “Calories,” “servings per container” and the “serving size.”  The type was  bolded for the calories and “serving size.”

The label must now show the actual amount and percent daily value of vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium. Manufacturers have the option to declare the amount for other vitamins and minerals.  At the bottom of the label, the footnote has been rewritten to better explain what percent Daily Value means.  It will read “The % Daily Values tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet of 2,000 calories.”   The diet is based on 2000 calories eaten in a day .

Here are some other updates to the nutrition label:

• “Added sugars” in grams as a percent daily value will be included. It is hard to meet nutrition requirements if you eat more than 10% of your calories from added sugars.
• Vitamin D and potassium will be required on the label, along with calcium and iron.
• “Calories from Fat” is being removed from the label, because research revealed that this type of fat is more important than the amount. “Total Fat,” “Saturated Fat,” and “Trans Fat” will still be required.
• Serving sizes must be based on amounts of food and drinks that people actually consume, not what “looks acceptable as determined by the manufacturer.”  The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act  requires that serving sizes be based on what people actually eat in a typical setting or serving.
• Package size affects what people eat. Serving sizes will better reflect how people typically eat at one time.
• For products with  more than a single serving, manufacturers will provide a “dual column” label to indicated the calories and amount of nutrients in both a serving and in the entire package.

Nutrition labels are just a guideline. The portion size you need as an individual varies based on a variety of factors (medical history, height, weight, gender, metabolism, diseases, disorders, etc.). If you need help with your diet, it’s best to talk to a health professional. Contact Dr. Kordonowy of Internal Medicine, Lipid & Wellness in Fort Myers for a nutrition consult. To schedule an appointment, call 239-362-3005, Ext. 200 or click here.