Nutrition and public health groups advocate for stronger US FOP food labels

A coalition of 28 consumer, public health, and nutrition groups, along with 12 academic researchers, have submitted joint comments to the US FDA regarding its front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labeling proposal.

The groups are advocating for a mandatory, interpretive labeling system that would highlight levels of added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat in packaged foods.

The FDA, under the Biden administration, proposed a rule in January 2025 that would mandate FOP labels to indicate if a product is “high,” “med,” or “low,” in the three nutrients of concern for foods marketed to adults and children aged four and older. This “Nutrition Info box” would complement the Nutrition Facts label already required on most food packages.

In May this year, the organization extended the comment period for its proposed FOP rule until July 15.

The Trump administration now has the opportunity to finalize this policy. Although the FDA has not yet released its regulatory agenda, agency officials stress that FOP nutrition labeling remains a priority.

“We’ve heard a lot of talk from this administration about the problem of the ultra-processed American diet,” says Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), adding its voice to the coalition.

“It’s time to act on evidence-based solutions, and FOP labeling is one of the most impactful approaches we have to address overconsumption of harmful ultra-processed foods and improve our nation’s health.”

Support for FDA proposal

The comments from CSPI and other organizations support the FDA’s proposal, while also suggesting ways to strengthen it.

CSPI expects the proposal will face strong pushback from the food and beverage industry.The groups encourage the FDA to adopt an even more streamlined approach to clearly highlight when products are high in added sugars, sodium, or saturated fat, using simpler labels designed to draw attention, for example by including an exclamation mark icon.

The coalition also calls for the FOP labeling policy to disclose when products contain non-nutritive sweeteners, explicitly stating that “these calorie-free additives used to impart sweetness to foods are not recommended for children.”

The groups argue that this would be an important step to discourage industry reformulation with these food additives, which were not addressed in the initial Biden-era proposal.

Additionally, the organizations encourage that the FOP labeling policy apply to foods marketed for infants and toddlers and to be accompanied by a robust consumer education campaign.

CSPI expects the proposal will face strong pushback from the food and beverage industry, which has favored a weaker system of voluntary “Facts Up Front” labels. “These labels, which are already found on food packages, do not help consumers interpret if a product is high in a nutrient.”

The comments underscore: “Scientific evidence shows that ‘High In’-style front-of-package labeling can lead to healthier consumer purchases, incentivize companies to produce healthier products, and prevent deaths from diet-related disease.”

Conversely, CSPI research previously revealed that the industry’s preferred labeling system has no effect on consumer behavior.

CSPI has submitted separate detailed recommendations to strengthen the proposed rule.