New Front-of-Box Nutrition Food Label System May Not Include Sugar

There is certainly a change coming in the food industry. I'm not sure how you are going to feel about it since it will impact the way you view and buy food. The nutrition label system is proposing a new "front of the box" labeling system for packaged foods. There will be included information on the box front regarding calories, saturated fats, trans fat and even sodium content...but not sugar. Really?

Food Labels with Calories, Fat and Sodium but not sugar, Why?

This is all coming from the committee from the Institute of Medicine, IOM. They have concluded that there is insufficient evidence that although sugar clearly has an impact of health, it is inconclusive if that impact is independent of the calories it adds to the diet. Huh?

The IOM is going to reserve it's judgment and not make any labeling recommendations until after its next report. They are planning a review of research to determine how consumers use different type of information found on package labeling. They will then give the FDA their recommendations and it will be up to the FDA as to whether they adopt and propositions regarding the new food labeling. But it does seem the new front of the package nutrition claims is the new way of things.

Calories, fats and Sodium strongly connected to many diseases

The calories, fats and sodium are of greatest concern because they are routinely overeaten and have a very strong relationship with certain diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and even cancer.

There is one thing that is being taken into consideration and the reason why this has come under scrutiny is that it is very difficult to determine the difference between sugars in processed foods, in other words, added sugars, and natural occurring sugars like in raisins for instance. So it can definitely be misleading.

There is currently no approved analytic method to distinguish between total sugar and added sugar. The committee says it is impossible to verify the actual amount of sugar added to foods.

There is no way to distinguish between added sugars and natural sugars

So in response to this committee's report, the consumer nutrition advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) had a say. They agreed that a uniform front of the package food label system might help improve health in the United States. But they really want added sugar in the final labeling recommendations, or for at least some foods. For instance they are concerned that consumers might be misled into thinking a sugary soft drink is a good food choice because it has no fat and little sodium.

The CSPI wants the FDA to ban partially hydrogenated oils which would eliminate trans fats and then they wouldn't even have to be listed.

The report was sponsored by the CDC and the FDA. The IOM committee's follow up report is expected to assess the pros and cons of having a single, federally regulated nutrition guide for the front of the box.

The Smart Choices program in 2009 was complete disaster

Of course they did try this already, which was a disaster. In August 2009 the Smart Choices program was introduced. The idea was a simple green check on the front of boxes was supposed to alert the consumer that this product was a good healthy choice, it was flawed. Such as not including sugar information for breakfast cereals and not requiring whole grain information. Nutritionists were quick to criticize the program when the big green check started showing up on products like Kellogg's Froot Loops. The program was canceled just a few months afters its initiation.

Source:

WebMD