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Enter the terms you wish to search for. The Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods was updated in 2016 to reflect updated scientific information, including information about the link between diet and chronic diseases, such as obesity and heart disease. The updated label makes it easier for consumers to make better informed food choices. The updated label appears on the majority of food packages. Industry members, visit our For Industry page for additional resources, including questions and answers. Consumers and educators, visit the Nutrition Facts Label Education Campaign page to learn more about the changes to the Nutrition Facts label. Manufacturers must declare the actual amount, in addition to percent Daily Value of vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.
They can voluntarily declare the gram amount for other vitamins and minerals. The footnote now better explains what percent Daily Value means. Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Daily Value, must be included on the label.
There are different labeling requirements for single-ingredient sugars. The list of nutrients that are required or permitted to be declared is being updated. Vitamin D and potassium are required on the label. Calcium and iron will continue to be required. Vitamins A and C are no longer required but can be included on a voluntary basis.
Daily values for nutrients like sodium, dietary fiber and vitamin D have been updated based on newer scientific evidence from the Institute of Medicine and other reports such as the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, which was used in developing the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. By law, serving sizes must be based on amounts of foods and beverages that people are actually eating, not what they should be eating. How much people eat and drink has changed since the previous serving size requirements were published in 1993. Package size affects what people eat. So for packages that are between one and two servings, such as a 20 ounce soda or a 15-ounce can of soup, the calories and other nutrients are required to be labeled as one serving because people typically consume it in one sitting. Examples would be a 24-ounce bottle of soda or a pint of ice cream.
See submitted comments, supporting documents, and references in Docket No. Why did you change the Nutrition Facts label? The previous label was more than 20 years old when the changes were made. To make sure consumers have access to more recent and accurate nutrition information about the foods they are eating, FDA required changes based on updated scientific information, new nutrition and public health research, more recent dietary recommendations from expert groups, and input from the public. The changes include modifying the list of required nutrients that must be declared on the label, updating serving size requirements, and providing a refreshed design. The current Nutrition Facts label makes it easier for consumers to make informed decisions about the food they eat.
Is the updated label already on packaged foods? 10 million or more in annual food sales had to make the changes by January 1, 2020. Manufacturers of most single-ingredient sugars such as honey and maple syrup and certain cranberry products have until July 1, 2021 to make the changes. The scientific evidence underlying the 2010, the 2015-2020, and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans support reducing caloric intake from added sugars. Consuming too much added sugars can make it difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie limits. The FDA recognizes that added sugars can be a part of a healthy dietary pattern. But if consumed in excess, it becomes more difficult to also eat foods with enough dietary fiber and essential vitamins and minerals and still stay within calorie limits.
The updates to the label will help increase consumer awareness of the quantity of added sugars in foods. Sugars that are added during the processing of foods will have both the percent Daily Value and the number of grams of Added Sugars on their labels. Single-ingredient sugars such as table sugar, maple syrup, or honey will only have the percent Daily Value for Added Sugars listed on their labels. Must Added Sugars be declared on packages and containers of single-ingredient sugars and syrups, such as pure honey and maple syrup? Packages and containers of these products are not required to include a declaration of the number of grams of Added Sugars in a serving of the product but must still include a declaration of the percent Daily Value for Added Sugars. What about certain cranberry products that have sugars added for palatability? The number of grams of Added Sugars in a serving of a cranberry product, as well as the percent Daily Value for Added Sugars, must still be labeled.
FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion for certain cranberry products to allow manufacturers to use a symbol leading to a statement that is truthful and not misleading placed outside the Nutrition Facts label. 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice of the same type. For industry and those interested in the more technical version of the definition, please consult page 33980 of the Nutrition Facts Label Final Rule. Are you using the new label to tell people what to eat? The Nutrition Facts label is designed to provide information that can help consumers make informed choices about the food they purchase and consume.