Lessons from the Nutritional Labeling of Packaged Foods (a U.S. perspective). James Alan Cook Palo...
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Transcript of Lessons from the Nutritional Labeling of Packaged Foods (a U.S. perspective). James Alan Cook Palo...
Lessons from the Nutritional Labeling of Packaged Foods
(a U.S. perspective).
James Alan CookPalo Alto, CA
The Food and Drug Administration
Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Responsible for ensuring that foods are safe, wholesome and properly labeled
Administers the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act
FDA’s laws and regulations are applicable to foods produced in the U.S., as well as foods produced in foreign countries that are imported into the U.S.
The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (the “NLEA”) 8 Nov. 1990
Three primary purposes:To help consumers make healthier food choices
To protect consumers from inaccurate or misleading health-related claims
To encourage food manufacturers to improve the nutritional quality of their products
NLEA Requirements for Labeling of Pre-Packaged Foods
NLEA requires that packaged foods must contain:
Common name of the product
Name and address of manufacturer
Common name of the product
Description of product’s contents
List of ingredients
Nutrition Facts label
Additional Provisions of the NLEA Required food manufacturers to disclose the fat (saturated
and unsaturated), cholesterol, sodium, sugar, fiber, protein and carbohydrate content in nearly all packaged foods
Required the FDA to establish standards and definitions for food descriptors such as “low,” “lean”, “lite,” reduced fat,” “high-fiber,” etc.
Established standards for allowing the display of “health” claims (i.e., claims about disease risk reduction) to appear on processed foods; but not “drug” claims
Health Claim: “Diets low in sodium may reduce he risk of high blood pressure.”Drug Claim: “Our product is loaded with nature’s best cold fighting ingredients.”
FDA Tests Lot Samples to Confirm Compliance with NLEA Regulations Class I Nutrients – such as vitamins, minerals, protein, dietary
fiber, or potassium that are added to “fortified” or “fabricated” foods
Must >100% of value declared on Nutrition Facts label
Class II Nutrients – such as vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fat, or potassium that occur naturally
Must >80% of value declared on Nutrition Facts label
Class III Nutrients – include calories, sugars, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium
Must <120% of value declared on Nutrition Facts label
Nutrition Facts Label
Nutrition Facts Label
Front-of-Box Nutrition Logos
The Food Guide Pyramid U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
The Healthy Eating Pyramid © 2008 Harvard University
Center for Science in the Public Interest filed petition with FDA
30 Nov. 2006 -- CSPI requested that FDA develop a national set of nutrition symbols to help consumers identify healthier foods
CSPI argued that the non-standardized rating schemes that food manufacturers are displaying on the front of their packaging materials create confusion and/or deception for consumers
10 Sept. 2007 – FDA invited interested parties to comment on the perceived benefits and disadvantages of front-of-the-box nutrition labels
FDA hearing is still in process (as of Feb. 2009)
Educational Programs RegardingNutrition Facts Labeling The FDA, with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Food
and Nutrition Service, developed the “Power of Choice” after-school program
Teaches adolescents to understand and how to use the Nutrition Facts labelsLearn about better nutrition by hands-on activities
The FDA’s “Spot The Block” ProgramAimed at ‘Tweens (ages 10-12)Partnered with Time Warner’s Cartoon NetworkTeaches pre-adolescents how to use Nutrition Facts labels to make healthy food choices
Current State of U.S. FoodLabeling
FDA remains in fact-finding mode regarding the establishment of a standardized, national set of front-of-the-box nutritional iconic images
U.S. food manufacturers and trade associations want front-of-the-box icons/logos to continue to be subject only to the FDA’s existing laws and regulations
Consumers continue to rely upon, and to be confused by, front-of-the-box icons/logos
Conclusions There are notable similarities regarding the current state of
nutritional labeling in the U.S. and the challenges we face in developing an appropriate system for labeling on-line content
There are existing laws and regulations that govern both food labeling and the labeling/rating of video games (whether on-line and/or as stand-alone products)There is an understanding that both situations could be better and need to evolve in order to provide better information and protection for consumersThere is disagreement as to whether food manufacturers (similar to game publishers) or governmental agencies (similar to existing ratings boards) should have primary responsibility for developing and implementing change
Conclusions (cont’d.)In both situations, the market has evolved and new rules need to be developed, clearly articulated and then communicated to the public and the relevant industry in order to provide better protection for their respective interests; education is key to the success of new modelsI want to thank LfM for inviting me to attend this 18th Transatlantic Dialog. I appreciate LfM’s leadership role and understanding that new ideas and an inter-disciplinary approach are required to resolve the apparent issues concerning the labeling of on-line contentI believe that LfM is uniquely positioned to coordinate the development of a comprehensive framework for the labeling of on-line content and related activities; one that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate widely differing social perspectives and emerging technologies