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- The FDA proposes front-of-package nutrition labels to promote healthier choices.
- The proposal targets chronic disease prevention by highlighting saturated fat, sodium and sugars.
- If approved, companies must comply within three to four years, impacting major brands.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday proposed that packaged foods require a nutrition label on the front, in its latest push under the outgoing Biden administration to help consumers make healthier choices.
The proposal plays a key role in the agency's nutrition priorities, which are part of a government-wide effort in fighting the country's chronic disease crisis, including health problems such as diabetes and heart illnesses.
If finalized, the proposal would give consumers readily visible information on the front about a food's saturated fat, sodium and added sugars — the three nutrients directly linked with chronic diseases when consumed in excess — with details that interpret these contents as "low," "med" or "high."
The World Health Organization in its draft guidelines in October had said packaged food and drinks should have easy-to-read nutritional information on the front of the products.
Certain countries such as Australia, Belgium, Chile, France and Italy have made front-of-package labeling either mandatory or voluntary for companies so that people can make better-informed choices and opt for healthier foods.
"Nearly everyone knows or cares for someone with a chronic disease that is due, in part, to the food we eat. It is time we make it easier for consumers to glance, grab and go," said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf.
The proposed rule, if finalized, would likely impact companies from PepsiCo to Kraft Heinz and Hershey. The companies did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Food manufacturers will need to add a nutrition info box to most products three years after the final rule's effective date for businesses with $10 million or more in annual food sales and four years after the effective date for businesses with less than $10 million in annual food sales.
The FDA's move comes more than a month after Califf was grilled by a senate committee led by Bernie Sanders in addressing the country's obesity epidemic and the health agency's regulation of the food and beverage industry.
The hearing by the senate committee was on the heels of President-elect Donald Trump's selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been critical of packaged foods, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Contributing: Ananya Mariam Rajesh
