What You Need to Know About the New Nutrition Label

It’s not the flashiest part of a package, but it typically draws plenty of consumer attention. And over the next two years, it’s going to start to look a little different.

Source: FDA

On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced changes to the standard Nutrition Facts label that appears on all food and beverage products sold in the United States. According to the release from the FDA, the changes to the label are being implemented to assist consumers in making more informed food purchasing decisions.

As part of her Let’s Move! initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama first proposed changes to the nutrition label in 2014. In a statement on Friday, she expressed that these changes will have a positive impact on families as they make decisions on what to consume.

“I am thrilled that the FDA has finalized a new and improved Nutrition Facts label that will be on food products nationwide,” she said in the statement. “This is going to make a real difference in providing families across the country the information they need to make healthy choices.”

The most obvious changes will be the increase in font size to the “Nutrition Facts” heading, recommended serving size and amount of calories per serving.

In addition to the increased size of the text, food and beverage manufacturers and printers will also need to address new requirements dictating what the text will say.

For example, serving size quantities are being altered to more accurately reflect what consumers are eating and drinking in a single sitting. The FDA’s website explains that the quantity of food and drinks people are consuming has changed since serving sizes were implemented in 1993. For example, a serving of a half cup of ice cream is changing to 2/3 of a cup. Likewise, a soda serving is increasing from 8 oz. to 12 oz., the FDA says. Similarly, depending on the size of the package, a 12-oz. soda and a 20-oz. soda will both be considered a single serving, with nutrition information that correlates to that size.

Source: FDA

Another change that will impact printers and food manufacturers is the addition of an “added sugars” section. Previously, the nutrition label only had to include total sugars, but with the Friday announcement, the FDA stated that scientific data has demonstrated that staying within calorie limits and meeting nutrient needs is challenging if more than 10% of a person’s total daily calories come from added sugar.

The required footnote at the bottom of the label has also changed, which the FDA says will better explain what “% Daily Value” means. The reworded footnote will read:

The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

With this announcement coming on the heels of the approval of the new Vermont GMO labeling law, it's evident that there is a push to make food packaging more of an educator to consumers. These changes will certainly have an impact on food manufacturers and printers as new plates are needed and the old versions of packaging get discarded. Though the Nutrition Facts label changes are still more than two years away, converters should always be keeping an eye on packaging legislation so they can educate their customers on how it will impact them and how they can make the transition as seamlessly as possible.

The changes to the nutrition labels, which are the first in more than 20 years, will need to be implemented by July 26, 2018.