FDA to revise nutrition facts label

FDA says nutrition facts label will get a makeover
The nutrition facts label on the side of a cereal box is photographed in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. Nutrition labels on the back of food packages may soon become easier to read. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says knowledge about nutrition has evolved over the last 20 years, and the labels need to reflect that. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

Those nutrition labels on the back of food packages may soon become easier to read.

The Food and Drug Administration says knowledge about nutrition has evolved over the last 20 years, and the labels need to reflect that.

As the agency considers revisions, nutritionists and other have their own wish list of changes.

They say the number of calories should be more prominent, and the amount of added sugar and percentage of whole wheat in the food should be included. They want more clarity on how serving sizes are defined.

Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says there's a feeling that the labels haven't been as effective as they could have been.

FDA would not say when a revised label would be released.

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Citation: FDA to revise nutrition facts label (2014, January 23) retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-01-fda-nutrition-facts.html
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