The FDA recently finalized the
new Nutrition Facts label that most food manufacturers must begin using by July 26, 2018 (manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have an additional year to comply). Some major changes to the food label include:
- Calories will be printed in larger text, and Calories from Fat will be removed.
- Serving sizes have been updated to represent what Americans actually eat, not what we should be eating (e.g., a serving of ice cream will be 2/3 cup rather than 1/2 cup, and a serving of soda will be 12 ounces instead of 8 ounces).
- Serving sizes will be bolded and printed in larger text.
- Daily Values have been updated along with the footnote explaining what Daily Values are.
- A new line has been included for "added sugars."
- Manufacturers must state the actual amount of vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium in addition to their percent of Daily Value.
- Packages that contain one to two servings but are typically consumed in one sitting (e.g., a 20-ounce soda or 15-ounce can of soup) must be labeled as one serving.
