Packaged foods in the United States will have to follow new rules to call themselves “healthy,” according to changes finalized Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Related video above: An update on Is plant-based “meat” actually healthy? The agency’s definition was originally developed 30 years ago. According to the FDA, the move is intended to help Americans check food labels at the grocery store and make choices that align with federal dietary guidelines, reducing the incidence of diet-related chronic diseases. The FDA said it expects to reduce “Healthy” must include a certain amount of foods from one or more food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein. And for the first time, the regulation placed certain limits on added sugars. Foods should also limit sodium and saturated fat at levels appropriate to the type of product, the FDA said. The changes would ban “health” labels from being placed on foods such as sugary cereals, sweetened yogurt, white bread and some granola bars. Allows use in foods such as avocados, olive oil, salmon, eggs, and trail mix. “Food as a means to health is critical to our nation’s future,” Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement. “Improving access to nutrition information is an important public health effort that FDA can take to help people develop healthy eating patterns.” The new rule will be in place within two months. will come into effect in 2020, and food manufacturers must comply by February 2028. Labels that designate certain foods as healthy are still being developed, FDA officials said. Under previous rules, about 15% of products were covered by a health designation, but only 5% made that claim. The changes, first proposed in 2022, are a much-needed update to “woefully outdated” guidance, Dr Dariush Mozaffarian said. Director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University. “The big picture: This is a huge improvement from an outdated definition from 30 years ago, which was based on a definition from 40 years ago.” We acknowledge that the definition is not consistent with dietary guidelines, which are the basis of federal programs and policies. The Consumer Brands Association, the food industry’s trade group, said the new rules “stand to exclude some processed foods, despite the industry’s countless innovations to provide healthier options.” There is,” he said. Sarah Gallo, the group’s executive director, said she was concerned that the new rules were “not based on clear evidence.” It references “clear scientific evidence” and fails to fully consider the potential economic impact on consumers. The updated standards are based on data that have the potential to improve public health, including diet-related chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, the FDA said. According to the FDA, more than three-quarters of Americans have diets low in vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Almost 80% exceed limits for saturated fat, more than 60% exceed limits for added sugars, and approximately 90% exceed limits for sodium, which can reduce chronic disease. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Institute for Scientific Research. Educational Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.
Packaged foods in the U.S. will have to follow new rules to call themselves “healthy,” according to proposed changes finalized Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration.
Related video above: Is plant-based “meat” really healthy?
This is an update to the definition of government agency originally devised 30 years ago. According to the FDA, the move is aimed at helping Americans check food labels at the grocery store and make choices that align with federal dietary guidelines, reducing the incidence of diet-related chronic diseases. It is hoped that this will be reduced.
Under this rule, products that claim to be “healthy” must contain a certain amount of food from one or more food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and protein. And for the first time, the regulation placed certain limits on added sugars. The FDA said foods must also limit sodium and saturated fat at levels appropriate to the type of product.
The changes would ban “healthy” labels on foods such as sugary cereals, sweetened yogurt, white bread and some granola bars, while also banning “healthy” labels from avocados, olive oil, salmon, eggs, It will be allowed to be used in some foods such as trail mix. Even water can now be labeled as healthy, officials said.
“Food as a means to health is critical to the future of this country,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement. “Improving access to nutrition information is an important public health effort that FDA can undertake to help people develop healthy dietary patterns.”
The new rules will come into effect within two months and food manufacturers have until February 2028 to comply. Labels that designate certain foods as healthy are still being developed, FDA officials said. Under previous rules, about 15% of products were eligible for a health designation, but only 5% claimed it.
The changes, first proposed in 2022, are a long-awaited update to “woefully outdated” guidance, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, director of Tufts University’s Institute for Food is Medicine.
“The big picture: This is a huge improvement from an outdated definition from 30 years ago that was based on 40-year-old science,” he said.
The new rule acknowledges that diet and nutrition knowledge has advanced over 30 years and that previous definitions are not consistent with dietary guidelines, which are the basis of federal programs and policies.
The Consumer Brands Association, a trade group for the food industry, said the new rules “exclude some packaged foods despite the industry’s countless innovations to provide healthier options. “It will be.”
Sarah Gallo, an official with the group, said she was concerned that the new rules were “not based on clear and unambiguous scientific evidence” and did not adequately consider the potential economic impact on consumers. He said that
The updated standards are based on data that have the potential to improve public health, including diet-related chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, the FDA said.
According to the FDA, more than three-quarters of Americans have diets low in vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Nearly 80% exceed limits on saturated fat, more than 60% exceed limits on added sugars, and about 90% exceed limits on sodium, which can reduce chronic disease.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.
