Within the last two years, the Food and Drug Administration have made some pretty significant changes to the Nutrition Facts Label. Most of these changes were made in hopes to present consumers with the information needed to make healthier choices all while shopping for themselves and their families in the supermarket. A number of these changes have proven to be highly beneficial for both individuals and families. This post will provide a detailed breakdown of a number of these changes.
The first change that will be the most noticeable is the prominence of the calorie count per serving of the packaged food. This was changed in an attempt to make shoppers more aware of the caloric intake they face with certain foods, and hopefully make positive health-conscious decisions based on this information. The calories from fat unit has been removed from all labels as well.
In addition to this, serving sizes have been adjusted to represent the way that these items are often consumed. An example of this can be seen in most sodas or colas. Previously, if you purchased a 20-oz soda, the bottle would’ve suggested that you consume the soda in more than two servings. This was unrealistic of most soda drinkers, and as such, the label has been adjusted to give a more precise view of the number of calories that consumers will intake per the bottle entirely rather than those two split servings.
Another important change that is meant to encourage a more health-conscious consumer is the inclusion of calories from sugars that are introduced in the processing or packaging states of food products. The label will reference these as added sugars. This information allows consumers to choose alternatives for their choices that have lower amounts of added sugar as it is suggested that your daily caloric intake should include less added sugars and more natural ingredients. All of these changes in conjunction with one another create an easier shopping experience for consumers that are health-conscious and are trying to take a step towards a healthier diet.
Hoping to learn more about these changes or check out additional changes that were made? Everything you can hope to learn about the new nutrition facts label, such as the additions of nutrients like Vitamin D and Potassium, is included within the infographic coupled alongside this post. Check it out for more valuable information!
Author bio: John Hinchey is VP of Sales for Westfalia Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of logistics solutions for plants, warehouses and distribution centers. He has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing and warehouse automation.