77 percent of U.S. adults reported using the Nutrition Facts label always, most of the time or sometimes when buying a food product, according to 2014 FD Health and Diet Survey.
Half of those who reported they rarely or never use the label said they did not feel they needed to use the label, most likely because they bought products that they or their family liked or they were satisfied with their diet or health.
It has been 20 years since food labels have seen much change, but now consumers can expect to see dramatic changes on labels no later than 2018.
After years of research and the push from the Obama Administration and First Lady Michelle Obama, the Food and Drug Administration has announced more than a half dozen significant changes to be introduced and added to food labels in the next two years.
Some of the key changes of the new labels include:
- Serving sizes – The serving sizes will now reflect what people currently eat instead of whatever the individual food companies think is a reasonable size.
- Calories – The total count will now be highlighted in a larger print. FDA officials have said this change reflects the country’s growing obesity epidemic.
- Added sugars – This will be an entirely new category for food labels. Added sugars will be measured in both grams and as a percent daily value. Dietary guidelines have been urging Americans to cut down on sugars that come from processed foods.
- Multi-serving products – For products that can be consumed in multiple sittings, there will now be two columns showing the per-serving and per-packages calorie and nutrition information.
- Odd-sized packages – Containers that are between one and two servings, like a 20-ounce bottle of soda, will now be labeled as one serving.
- Sodium and dietary fiber – The percent daily values for sodium, dietary fiber and vitamin D will change for many foods based on the new 2015-20 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Institute of Medicine recommendations. The new recommendations call for up to 28 grams of fiber a day and will have 18 percent for the percent daily values rather than being listed for 20 percent. For sodium, percent daily value will now be based on a 2,300 mg of sodium a day rather than being based on a maximum of 2,4000 mg.
- Vitamin D and potassium – Past labels only had the percent daily values for Vitamin D and potassium, but now they will show the gram amount, which the FDA said in a statement “some people are not getting enough of, which puts them at higher risk for chronic disease.”
- Vitamins A and C – Will no longer be required on labels.
- Fat – Research shows the type of fat is more important than the amount of fat. The “Calories from Fat” line will disappear; “Total Fat” and the subcategories “Saturated Fat” and “Trans Fat” will still be required.
- Percent Daily Value – It is still based on a 2,000 calorie diet, but instead of being at the end of the label, the information will now be first in the line.
The Nutrition Facts label was introduced more than 20 years ago by the U.S. Government with the goal of helping consumers eat healthier. While the intent was made for more healthy choices, many consumers and critics have said the current labels are confusing and misleading.
Christy Tunnell, an instructor of nutrition and dietetics and president of the Indiana Acadamy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said current labels have been in need of an update.
“I don’t think the labels are meant to be misleading in any way. I do feel that they have not been as consumer friendly as they could be,” Tunnell said. “Think about a legal contract: it may be very legally straightforward, but hard for the general public to interpret. New scientific research and recommendations will now be integrated, so the new labels are meant to be an improvement on this. Ultimately, the more information that the public can easily access and interpret, the better.”
Carol Friesen, graduate program director and an associate professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, said there is an overall lack of education amongst consumers on how to read the labels.
“They are not misleading, but there is just critical information that is not currently listed," Friesen said. "When the label was first created, it was terrific, ... but with more knowledge about nutrition, about food,and about human understanding, we are able to improve the label."
But to Friesen, more than just changes to food labels are necessary for a healthier America.
“We need education," she said. "For example, do a survey — ask people if they know how many calories they need each day. How would they know? That’s the first thing we need to teach people.”
Friesen said the new food labels will help consumers realize what they are putting into their bodies.
“The body is like a car engine — it needs oil and gas and oxygen to run properly,” Friesen said. “Too much oxygen and air, and the car chokes; … put diesel fuel in the tank of my Lexus and it won’t start. People need to fuel their bodies with the proper nutrients. The food label will help them do that.”
Brandon Kistler, an assistant professor of dietetics and nutrition, said it is important for consumers to actually read the labels.
“Food science is advancing at a pace we have never seen," Kistler said. "Thousands of new foods are produced each year. These processed foods contain not only unique ingredients, but also nutrients in drastically varying quantities. It would be very difficult for the average consumer today to look at an item on the shelf of a grocery store and understand how this item fits into a healthy diet without the information provided on a food label.”
Change takes time, but the change in food labels is exciting not only for consumers, but also for nutritionists, Friesen said.
“President Obama and the First Lady have been strong proponents of good nutrition. During the Obama Administration, we have had the new MyPlate — which was a significant improvement over MyPyramid — to help people eat healthier,” Friesen said. “The government just published the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015 version, new sodium guidelines were just published last week. We nutritionists have been working for the past several years on this change. All of the stars are finally aligned."
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