Possible Delay for New Nutrition Labels

Last May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that food labels would be getting a long overdue makeover.

The newly redesigned labels will more prominently display the number of calories, the serving size, and the number of servings per container. Food packages will also – for the first time ever – list the amount of added sugars the product contains. The new label also includes a lower Daily Value for sodium to encourage consumers to eat less.

Large food companies were given two years to start using the new Nutrition Facts label (by July 26, 2018), while smaller companies were given an additional year. The good news is that some companies have already started using the new label on their products.

But 17 groups representing the food industry recently asked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for more time to comply… and not just a little extra time, but three additional years! The groups asked HHS to move the deadline to May 2021.

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The American Heart Association thinks that 2021 is too long to wait for updated nutrition labels, and we are not alone. At least one major food manufacturer has told the FDA that it is committed to meeting the original 2018 compliance deadline, and that if any extension is needed, it should be limited to one additional year, not three.

Join us in calling on the FDA and HHS to keep the compliance deadline the same.

Click to tweet: @SecPriceMD and @US_FDA. Consumers deserve updated, easy-to-understand nutrition information. Do not delay the new #NutritionFacts label.

The new labels will help consumers make healthier, more informed food choices – one of the most important steps you can take to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.

With so much at stake, consumers shouldn’t have to wait any longer for updated nutrition information, and certainly not for another four years. The time for a Nutrition Facts makeover is long overdue.

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