New Food Labels in US to Emphasise on Calories and Sugar

The Obama Government in the US has planned an overhaul of the nutrition labels displayed on food packets.

The most important changes in the label will include details about calories, serving sizes and added sugars.

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The proposal "is a big deal, and it's going to make a big difference for families all across this country," Obama said early Thursday.

As part of the new plan, now calorie counts will be displayed in bigger and bolder print. There will be details about added sugars and the source from where they come, such as corn syrup, honey, sucrose or any other source. Changes in serving sizes will also be changed.

Now the label ‘Calories from fat’ will no longer be there. The new label will also inform about vitamin D and potassium instead of vitamins A and C.

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Giving more emphasis to calorie counts is the right thing to do because "the major public health crisis in the United States is body weight," says Alice Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition science at Tufts University, Boston.

First lady Michelle Obama announced the new proposal for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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Experts say serving sizes mentioned on labels have been misleading. Many single-serving packages list multiple servings and through this calorie count gets reduced. The FDA says that actual consumption must decide serving sizes, not ideal consumption.

Experts say the revamp is aimed at dealing with serious public health issues, including obesity and other chronic diseases. Officials said the new labels would help consumers make healthy food choices.

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Source-Medindia