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No More Sneaky Sugars: Labels Get a Makeover

A couple weeks ago, the FDA announced that there would be some changes to the way they labeled food, and–to risk sounding like a nerd–I’m pretty excited about the changes. The three biggest changes, in my opinion, are:

  • The phrases “calories”, “serving size” and “servings per container” are going to be bigger and more prominent.
  • Vitamin D, iron, potassium and calcium will be included on the label in actual grams as well as the daily value percent.
  • Labels will include added sugars, in grams and daily percent values. I personally think this is the biggest deal–how many times have you picked up something, like fruit juice, and wondered how many grams of sugar was added and how many occurred naturally?

Manufacturers have until July of 2018 to make the changes. Here is a version of our current label and a label with the new changes.

Nutrition Facts
from FDA.gov
I like the look of the new label a lot, and even though we’re a couple years out from having them switched over, I think it will make a difference in the way people see the nutrients (and the additives) in their food.

There are also some changes being made to serving sizes, to make them more realistic and based on what people are actually eating.

Serving sizes
from FDA.gov
What do you think of the changes that are coming to food labels? Do you think they will make a difference in the way people eat and shop?

Posted in Healthy EatingTagged , , , , , , , 24 Comments

24 thoughts on “No More Sneaky Sugars: Labels Get a Makeover”

  2. I think this is great news! Added sugars is such a problem, I know when I try to buy yogurt I get disappointed whenI see how “unhealthy” they actually are due to the added sugars, so this will really help consumers make smarter choices!

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  3. I agree that the sugar information is probably the most important change. I love knowing how much extra they are putting into the food. I’m not sure that this will make a difference for most people when they shop, but for those of us who care or for those who are trying to clean up their diet or lose weight it will help.

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  10. While I’m happy this change is coming, the real difference will be in how people understand this added information. Lots of people I talk to think a piece of fruit and a piece of candy are equivalent in nutrition because of the sugar content. But you and I know they are TOTALLY DIFFERENT. This change will require a lot of education for the masses to understand what this means to them and how they can make smart, healthy choices.

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