Experts Raise Alarm Over FDA’s Proposed Food Packaging Changes: What You Need to Know

The FDA has a new idea to simplify food shopping. They want to put nutrition information on the front of packaged foods. This includes details about saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. The aim is to help shoppers make healthier choices quickly. This idea was announced on January 14.

Research shows that around 80% of U.S. adults already check Nutrition Facts labels before buying food. But will moving this information to the front really change how people shop?

Nutritionists have mixed feelings about this proposal. It is part of a bigger plan to tackle chronic diseases, which affect about 60% of Americans.

Some experts, like Dana Hunnes, a dietitian in Los Angeles, think the new label could be beneficial. She believes it could help people, especially those with health issues like diabetes or heart disease. By seeing key information at a glance, they can better manage their diets.

The proposed front-of-package nutrition label will show whether saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars are low, medium, or high. Eric Crosbie, a public health professor, thinks this change is overdue. He points out that these nutrients contribute to preventable diseases. A clearer label could encourage healthier product choices and help consumers make better decisions.

However, not everyone is on board. Shelley Balls, a registered dietitian, raises concerns about potential negative impacts on those with eating disorders. She argues it’s easy to check the back label, and moving the information to the front may exacerbate issues for some individuals. For example, focusing solely on saturated fat could mislead consumers about a product’s overall healthfulness if it contains healthy fats too.

Katherine Metzelaar, who specializes in eating disorders, agrees. She believes that labels can trigger anxiety around food. Many people become too fixated on numbers rather than listening to their hunger cues. From her perspective, simply changing the label’s position won’t significantly improve public health.

Education about nutritional labels is crucial for this initiative to succeed. Katie Schwartz, another dietitian, emphasizes the importance of understanding what these labels mean. Without proper context, the new labels might create more anxiety about food. She warns that declaring nutrients “bad” could lead people to overlook foods that are actually healthy. Everyone’s dietary needs are different, and an athlete might need more sodium than others.

Schwartz also highlights that the daily values on labels are based on a standard 2,000-calorie diet. This doesn’t reflect personal variations in calorie needs. Plus, people often eat more or less than the suggested serving sizes. She fears the new labels could increase stress and confusion around food choices, even for those without eating disorders, leading to unhealthy decisions or avoidance altogether.