Biden admin to propose nutrition labels on front of food packaging in push to improve health
The Food and Drug Administration will research and propose a standardized front-of-package labeling system to help consumers more readily understand nutrition
The Food and Drug Administration will research and propose a standardized front-of-package labeling system to help consumers more readily understand nutrition information, the White House said Tuesday.
The proposed update to the existing setup, in which nutritional information is provided primarily on the backs of labels, is part of the Biden administration's effort to help consumers make healthy choices and “to shift our health care system away from just treating disease to preventing it,” a senior administration official told reporters on a call.
The front-of-package labeling — which could come in the form of star ratings or traffic light images — would aim "to help consumers, particularly those with lower nutrition literacy, quickly and easily identify foods that are part of a healthy eating pattern," the White House said in a 44-page strategy report.
The administration also said it would propose an update to the nutrition criteria for the “healthy” claim on food packages.
Administration officials are preparing to host the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on Wednesday — the first of its kind since a Nixon-era conference on the subject more than 50 years ago.
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