FDA Labelling Proposals on Added Sugar Go Down Well With Campaigners
28 Jul 2015 --- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed including the percent daily value (%DV) for added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label of packaged foods, giving consumers additional information for added sugars similar to information they have seen for decades with respect to nutrients such as sodium and certain fats.
The CSPI said that the move was a major victory for public health: “Like the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, the FDA has reviewed the science and concluded that 12 teaspoons of added sugar a day should be the basis for the percent Daily Value. It’s about time consumers knew that a 20-ounce soda has 130 percent of the added sugars they should consume each day.
“CSPI will continue to urge the FDA to require that the amount of sugar be expressed in teaspoons, as well as grams. National polls—including those conducted by CSPI that will be submitted for the record—demonstrate the obvious: consumers understand teaspoons far better than grams and strongly prefer that amounts of added sugars be listed in teaspoons.
“Added sugars, especially in beverages, have been found to increase the risks of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, including 25,000 deaths annually in the United States due to sugar drinks alone, according to a recent international study.”
Nancy Brown, chief executive of the American Heart Association, released this statement: “The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than half your daily discretionary calories. Specifically, for most American men, that means about 150 calories a day, or nine teaspoons or less. For women, it’s a smaller amount – no more than 100 calories per day from added sugar, or about six teaspoons of sugar. Yet, this can be difficult to do when added sugars are not included on the Nutrition Facts label.
“The American Heart Association strongly supports the FDA’s proposal and looks forward to seeing how the requirement, once implemented, will help people make more informed and healthy decisions about the foods they eat.”
The FDA explained that the percent daily value indicates how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet and would help consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families. The percent daily value would be based on the recommendation that the daily intake of calories from added sugars not exceed 10 percent of total calories.
The proposed rule is a supplement to the March 3, 2014 proposed rule on updating the Nutrition Facts label, under which the FDA proposed that food companies include added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label. The proposed rule did not include the declaration of the percent daily value for added sugars.
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recently summarized scientific data related to added sugars. The FDA considered the scientific evidence that the DGAC used, which showed that it is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie requirements if one exceeds 10 percent of total calories from added sugar, and has determined that this information supports this daily value for added sugars. The DGAC also recommended that Americans limit their added sugars intake to less than 10 percent of total calories; this and other recommendations from the DGAC, which is an independent advisory committee, will be considered in the development of the final 2015 Dietary Guidelines.
The FDA’s initial proposal to include the amount of added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label is now further supported by newly reviewed studies suggesting healthy dietary patterns, including lower amounts of sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, are strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. When sugars are added to foods and beverages to sweeten them, they add calories without providing additional nutrients.
The current label requires the percent daily value be listed for total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, calcium and iron.
The FDA is also proposing to change the current footnote on the Nutrition Facts label to help consumers understand the percent daily value concept. The proposed statement on the label would be shorter than the current footnote to allow for more space on the label, stating:
*The percent daily value (%DV) 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.
The FDA is seeking public comment on the proposal for 75 days.
