FDA announces proposed updates to Nutrition Facts Panel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday published proposed updates to the Nutrition Facts panel on food packages in the Federal Register. The proposed changes affect all packaged foods, except certain meat, poultry and processed egg products, which are regulated by USDA. The proposal would update the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect the latest scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease. It also would replace out-of-date serving sizes to better align with how much people really eat, and would highlight key parts of the label such as calories and serving sizes. FDA set a 90-day period for comments. If you have questions or want to provide OTA with feedback on FDA’s proposed changes, contact Gwendolyn Wyard, OTA’s Regulatory Director for Organic Standards and Food Safety.