FDA Delivers New Food Labels, but GMO Labels Are Missing

It's been a few decades since the nutrition labels on U.S. foods have been changed significantly. This week, the FDA released the new-and-improved labels, which they say will make it easier for Americans to make healthy decisions. It's true, these...

March 1, 2014 | Source: Natural Society | by Elizabeth Renter

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It’s been a few decades since the nutrition labels on U.S. foods have been changed significantly. This week, the FDA released the new-and-improved labels, which they say will make it easier for Americans to make healthy decisions. It’s true, these changes are positive, but there is at least one glaring omission.

As NPR reports, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the proposed nutritional label changes on Thursday, marking the fourth anniversary of her Let’s Move Campaign. It was fitting, considering the new labels could help some people get a grip on matters like portion size and added sugars-two factors that can contribute to obesity.

What’s changed?

The new labels have

bigger and bolder calorie counts. Calories are often the first thing U.S. consumers look to when they are watching their weight (thought they shouldn’t be). And while calories are important, they don’t tell the whole story.

The new labels also address portion size,

bolding just how many servings there are in a container. This is an extremely positive move, as a single bottle of juice, for instance, could include two or more servings. But this fact is often missed by consumers who only glance at the nutrition info and thus dramatically underestimate what they are consuming.

Finally, the labels will include a new feature-a separate line for added sugars. Naturally occurring sugars, like those in dried fruit or grains are less detrimental to our health than added sugars like those from corn syrup and table sugar added to simply sweeten the pot. Prior to the change, all sugars were listed together.