The TRUTH in Labelling Act would strengthen the warning for shoppers who want to cut back their sugar, salt and saturated fat consumption

With rising obesity rates within the USA and increasing attention to the health damage attributable to processed foodsIt is evident that far more may very well be done to assist consumers select healthy foods.

A bill often known as Truth in Labeling Act has been pending in Congress since late 2023. If passed, U.S. food manufacturers can be required so as to add a second nutrition label to the front of product packaging, along with the labels currently on the back or side wall. Additionally, the label would have to focus on any potentially unhealthy ingredients within the product, similar to the quantity of sugar, sodium and saturated fat.

The proposed laws would supply consumers with a standardized, easy-to-understand and quick solution to Decide if a product is a healthy selectionIf the bill, which remains to be in committee, becomes law, front-of-package labeling can be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The current nutrition label, which usually comprises more detailed dietary information and is positioned on the side wall of a product, would remain unchanged.

As a specialist in food safety extension I consider that consistent front-of-pack labelling would bring great advantages to consumers by providing them with a simple solution to compare multiple products and make a more informed purchasing decision. I work with farmers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and government to offer healthy food to consumers.

Even if the law is passed, it is going to take time for the FDA to interpret the law and standardize the design and format. And it may very well be years before all food manufacturers are required to make use of the brand new label. In the meantime, greater than 175 million Americans have are chubby or obeseand with each passing day, this number is growing.

Why the change?

The latest bill is the most recent attempt by lawmakers to teach the general public about sound dietary decisions. Congress had already called for standardized dietary labeling on food packaging through the Nutrition Labelling and Information Act of 1990.

But within the 34 years since that first label appeared, obesity rates have greater than tripled. 40% of Americans are actually obeseAnother 31% are chubby and suffer from diet-related chronic diseases, including Heart disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension and sort 2 diabetes are widespread. About 60% of adults within the United States – 130 million people – have at the very least one in all these chronic diseases.

All these diseases are related to consuming an excessive amount of sugar, sodium or saturated fat – three primary ingredients that the front label focuses on.

Labels help shoppers make higher decisions

There is one more reason to ask for a second one, easily recognizable, easy to know labelOnly about 40% of Americans Read the prevailing dietary labels usually; some shoppers say they don't understand it. An easier label with a more direct message could help these consumers. In fact, some studies suggest that front-of-pack labels help buyers make smart decisions.

Studies show that individuals who usually read the present label are inclined to eat healthier than individuals who don’t. For example, those that read loads are almost 4 times more likely than those that read little to satisfy the really helpful every day fiber intake.

Now the bad news: Even the heavy readers only reached their fiber goals about 13% of the time. That's not good, but it surely's an improvement over the sunshine readers, who only reached their goals a measly 3.7% of the time.

As a reminder: The every day suggestion for fiber is 25 grams for ladies and 38 grams for men under 50; for those over 50, it’s barely lower.

Some foods are still exempt

You could have seen some nutrition labels on the front of food packages. However, these labels are usually not regulated by the federal government. The system, often known as the “facts-up-front” labeling system, is strictly voluntary and a call made by the person food manufacturer. Label designs and formats provided by the Consumer Brand Associationan industry association representing the food industry. Only a number of manufacturers have chosen to label their products with these labels.

However, more research is required to know the way front-of-pack labelling may change behaviour in the long run. But at the very least one food safety promotion organisation, while supporting front-of-pack labelling, says the trade association's system of bringing facts to the forefront isn’t optimal.

Even if the TRUTH in Labeling Act is passed in its current form, some foods could remain exempt from nutrition labeling requirements, including fish, coffee, tea and spices.

There is one caveat, nevertheless. If a product's packaging makes dietary or health claims – even those which might be normally exempt – then the product must even have a nutrition label.