If you’re like many other shoppers, one of the first things you look at when inspecting a food product is the label on the back. The Nutrition Facts Label provides consumers a means to understand all of what is included in any particular packaged food product. In the past year, a number of changes were made to the label that you may have overlooked. This was a result of The Food and Drug Administration setting new guidelines for the label that require it to include an updated collection of nutritional information. These new guidelines are required to be adjusted and printed onto all imported foods, as well as foods made in the U.S. beginning this year.
There amount of changes may seem like a lot to take in at first. The first change you’ll likely notice the increase in font size of the total calorie count. This value now has the largest text font on the label and its presence is surely going to draw your eyes. In addition to this, the serving size information you’d find just above the calorie total have been reconsidered and adjusted to depict the way Americans are actually consuming their food products.
Some portions of the calories section of the label that were also removed. Calories from Fat, once thought to be an important precursor on obesity rates, has seen its last days on the label. Instead, consumers will find the breakdown of the different types of fats that are included in the products they purchase. Saturated and trans fats, amongst other new nutrients such as vitamin D and potassium, have been added as a replacement.
Another important addition to the label comes in the form of the percentage of calories from sugars in these packaged foods. This information is critical in understanding how much additional sugars are being added into these products during the processing or packaging stages of their life cycles. This information gives consumers an insight into which products they should avoid as it’s suggested to not consume more than 10% of your daily calories through added sugars.
All of these changes were made in hopes to simplify the ability of consumers to make health-conscious choices when purchasing food for themselves and their families. For those hoping to learn more about the changes made this past year, check out the featured infographic below. It is a great resource in fully understanding how these changes can affect shoppers in the United States.
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.