Current Events > FDA: "we're redefining what's healthy"

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https://apple.news/A0NQzPlpzT7qjJAz2bf_jwQ

The Food and Drug Administration announced new rules Wednesday for nutrition labels that can go on the front of food packages to indicate that they are healthy.

Under the proposal, manufacturers can label their products healthy if they contain a meaningful amount of food from at least one of the food groups or subgroups (such as fruit, vegetable or dairy) recommended by the dietary guidelines. They must also adhere to specific limits for certain nutrients, such as saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. For example, a cereal would need to contain three-quarters of an ounce of whole grains and no more than 1 gram of saturated fat, 230 milligrams of sodium and 2.5 grams of added sugars per serving for a food manufacturer to use the word healthy on the label.

The labels are aimed at helping consumers more easily navigate nutrition labels and make better choices at the grocery store. The proposed rule would align the definition of the healthy claim with current nutrition science, the updated Nutrition Facts label and the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the FDA said.

The agency also is developing a symbol that companies can voluntarily use to label food products that meet federal guidelines for the term healthy.

The announcement cameahead of Wednesdays White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. The conference wasthe first of its kind since 1969, when a summit hosted by the administration of President Richard M. Nixon led to major expansions of food stamps, school lunches and other programs that have been credited with reducing hunger nationally and providing a critical safety net during the pandemic.

Once finalized, the FDAs new system will quickly and easily communicate nutrition information through tools such as star ratings or traffic light schemes to promote equitable access to nutrition information and healthier choices, the White House said in a statement this week. The system can also prompt industry to reformulate their products to be healthier, it said, by adding more vegetables or whole grains or developing new products to meet the updated definition.

The stakes are high.

Six in 10 American adults have chronic lifestyle-related diseases, often stemming from obesity and poor diet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says these diseases are the leading cause of death and disability and a leading driver in the nations $4.1 trillion of annual health-care costs.

And the obesity epidemic is not moving in the right direction: Studies show that obesity, especially among children, rose significantly during the pandemic,with the greatest change among children ages 5 to 11, who gained an average of more than five pounds. Before the pandemic, about 36 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds were considered overweight or obese; during the pandemic,that increased to 45.7 percent.

Groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest have long petitioned the FDA to adopt mandatory, standardized and evidence-based front-of-package labeling. Front-of-package nutrition labeling, they say, will reach more consumers than the Nutrition Facts on the backs of packages, helping them quickly choose more-beneficial foods and spurring companies to reformulate products in a more healthful direction. According to nutrition experts, Americans generally consume too much sodium, added sugars and saturated fat in their packaged foods, so to be able to quickly identify foods that are high or low in those nutrients would be a significant public health benefit.

The Biden administration has endorsed the FDAs efforts to crack down on sodium intake, strengthening the agencys announcement last year that it would have food companies and restaurants reduce sodium in the foods they make by about 12 percent over the next 2 years. In a parallel effort, the administration suggests the FDA reduce Americans sugar consumption by including potential voluntary targets for food manufacturers sugar content.

It really feels like the world is realizing that it's going to run out of healthy workers soon and is just starting to hit the panic button.

A lot of current news and policy certainly seems dictated by that premise.

xXfireglzXx posted...

It really feels like the world is realizing that it's going to run out of healthy workers soon and is just starting to hit the panic button.

A lot of current news and policy certainly seems dictated by that premise.

This, it's like we're living the beginning of Wall-E

It will make things slightly more convenient for me, now I don't have to flip the package over. Not sure that this will have any impact though, simply slapping the word "healthy" on some foods because it is whole grain won't stop people from eating 4000 calories a day and not exercising.

Its definitely a good step, but they need to be careful/willing to close any sort of loopholes in getting the rating to keep it from just being a useless label.

Also holy shit @ nearly half the people 5-11 being obese in the US

wait, can't they stop the processing of unhealthy foods

cadcrafter posted...

Its definitely a good step, but they need to be careful/willing to close any sort of loopholes in getting the rating to keep it from just being a useless label.

We're definitely going to see more weird food labeling shit like pizza counting as a vegetable because it's slathered in tomato sauce.

A_Good_Boy posted...

We're definitely going to see more weird food labeling shit like pizza counting as a vegetable because it's slathered in tomato sauce.

There will be "healthy" versions of everything, all they have to do is not have too much added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. No reason everything from pizza to ice cream won't be able to easily fit under the label.

Yes, I'm sure that will stop Shamu from grabbing the Oreos and snack cakes

AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

There will be "healthy" versions of everything, all they have to do is not have too much added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. No reason everything from pizza to ice cream won't be able to easily fit under the label.

Which, in the end, will be a good thing... because reduced sugar, sodium, and saturated fat will be healthier.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

This backfired in Mexico, where the black octagons became a "badge of flavor".
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/9/2/AAEhCpAADuZs.jpg

I don't see how hard it can be to make prepackaged foods that have the same mass and taste as all the stuff we like... but do not have the calories or the unhealthy content in it.

We know what the goal is, food scientists just need to get us there.

Like an extra-large pepperoni pizza that has only 700 calories and all the essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, anti-oxidants, proteins, etc, etc, etc that we need without the saturated fats, cholesterol, etc, etc, etc.

---

Hell, if we can make space food for astronauts that have all the calories, essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc, etc, etc... and can fit it into this, then we can do anything.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/9/5/AAfQqfAADuZv.jpg

AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

It will make things slightly more convenient for me, now I don't have to flip the package over. Not sure that this will have any impact though, simply slapping the word "healthy" on some foods because it is whole grain won't stop people from eating 4000 calories a day and not exercising.

I feel you still would have to, though The word healthy only conveys so much. I would say flipping the package over to see whats in it would still be needed, depending on what youre looking for

But I agree with it not stopping people from overeating, now will it make them exercise. Less people might actually exercise because they think all their food is healthy

AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

There will be "healthy" versions of everything, all they have to do is not have too much added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. No reason everything from pizza to ice cream won't be able to easily fit under the label.

I feel this will make things weird, tbh Having healthy versions of everything will make some people think its ok to overeat those foods If they buy then, that is I know some people who would avoid them because the healthy label could make them think it taste worse, unless its a brand they already normally have. Which then make them think its ok to eat a lot because I chose a healthy pizza or ice cream

DuranOfForcena posted...

not enough shaming. we not only need "healthy" labels on the healthy foods, we also need big fat "UNHEALTHY YOU FUCKING FATASS" labels on the unhealthy foods so people will feel too embarrassed to even be seen buying them.

Since many people will be buying them, people might not be that embarrassed I know people I work with who would think its hilarious and would still buy them And eventually, people just wouldnt care. Or order everything online People will still want to eat what they want to eat. Which is fine. You only get one life. Enjoy it. Dont let anyone shame you out of giving yourself a treat Plus, in the end, why be embarrassed around people you may never see again? The other shoppers dont know if its you first time buying cupcake that year, or the fifth time that week. Haha.

instead of regulating the actual production of bad food, which would impact money, they're leaving it in the hands of the consumer so they can pat themselves on the back

is it really impossible to make tasty healthy food? somehow i just don't think so. there must be other reasons.

AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

There will be "healthy" versions of everything, all they have to do is not have too much added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. No reason everything from pizza to ice cream won't be able to easily fit under the label.

Pizza can only accomplish that by using skim-milk cheese. *shudders*
Ice cream...sugar substitutes like stevia maybe? Bleh, not the same.

We allow so many products in our foods that Europe outright criminalized. The worst thing is that by defining this stuff and doing it through policy under a Democrat means it's guaranteed to go as soon as a Republican is in office.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I would start exclusively buying "UNHEALTHY YOU FUCKING FATASS" products.

ZannoL posted...

per serving

Easy loophole: My previous cereal box with 2.5grams of sugar per serving and 10 servings per box becomes only 0.25grams per serving for 100 servings. Nobody's going to do the math but I can stamp my healthy mark like a champ

GuerrillaSoldier posted...

instead of regulating the actual production of bad food, which would impact money, they're leaving it in the hands of the consumer so they can pat themselves on the back

is it really impossible to make tasty healthy food? somehow i just don't think so. there must be other reasons.

Its not that tasty food cant be healthy. But whatever they add to make certain foods taste better also usually makes it more unhealthy, I believe To make something healthier, youd either have to remove, add, or change ingredients (or some combination of the three) But that would also change how the food taste (even if its just a little), which could be off-putting for a few It could cause them to lose customers

RlP posted...

Easy loophole: My previous cereal box with 2.5grams of sugar per serving and 10 servings per box becomes only 0.25grams per serving for 100 servings. Nobody's going to do the math but I can stamp my healthy mark like a champ

That's actually illegal now.
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/food- serving-sizes-have-reality-check (remove space after "food-", fuck you GameFAQs for your short as fuck maximum text length)

The serving sizes listed on the Nutrition Facts label are not recommended serving sizes. By law, serving sizes must be based on how much food people actually consume, and not on what they should eat.

Paragon21XX posted...

remove space after "food-", fuck you GameFAQs for your short as fuck maximum text length

???

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/food-serving-sizes-have-reality-check

bump

Nukazie posted...

wait, can't they stop the processing of unhealthy foods

This lol

How did a 20oz soda used to be 2.5 servings and now it's listed as one serving?

It's great when a 16 ounce bottle of water costs more than a 2 liter of coke.

The need to pass a law that says 1 serving of a frozen pizza is 1/8 of the pizza and not 1/6.

Who the fuck cuts their pizza into 6 pieces?

Robot2600 posted...

The need to pass a law that says 1 serving of a frozen pizza is 1/8 of the pizza and not 1/6.

Who the fuck cuts their pizza into 6 pieces?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6RjKaLndQM

Eat meat, vegetables, and non-processed food.

The FDA is a shitshow, and its run by former CEOs of big food manufacturers. If you think they wont just be slapping healthy on the box of their former business products, youre out of your mind.

They suck.

Robot2600 posted...

Who the fuck cuts their pizza into 6 pieces?

people that know how to correctly slice a pizza

Itll help push other businesses to adjust their foods to meet the criteria since people love to buy healthy food. Im all for this.

Robot2600 posted...

Who the fuck cuts their pizza into 6 pieces?

Monsters

--Zero- posted...

Itll help push other businesses to adjust their foods to meet the criteria since people love to buy healthy food. Im all for this.

AKA the California "causes cancer" law

I still don't understand how 20oz soda is just 1 serving

Suolevram posted...

How did a 20oz soda used to be 2.5 servings and now it's listed as one serving?

Because the FDA made companies change their labels for products that are typically consumed as one serving, such as a 20oz soda... like those you see from vending machines.

All the nutrition information is correct. Do the math and it matches what it used to be.

gunplagirl posted...

We allow so many products in our foods that Europe outright criminalized. The worst thing is that by defining this stuff and doing it through policy under a Democrat means it's guaranteed to go as soon as a Republican is in office.

Europe should probably criminalize alcohol and tobacco, those are super unhealthy to consume