Food labeling chaos

Executive Summary: Accurate, easy-to-read, and scientifically valid nutrition and health information on food labels is an essential component of a comprehensive public health strategy to help consumers improve their diets and reduce their risk of diet-related diseases. However, as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg recognized in a 2009 speech to the National Food Policy Conference, "[T]he public health importance of food labeling as an essential means for informing consumers about proper nutrition ... has not been substantially addressed since the FDA implemented the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, more than 16 years ago." Hamburg also noted, "[W]e've seen the emergence of claims that may not provide the full picture of their products' true nutritional value. It will be important to reestablish a science-based approach to protect the public. ..." Indeed, misleading claims, ranging from promises that a food can "strengthen" your immune system to misleading pictures on the fronts of food labels that misrepresent the type and quantity of fruits and vegetables in a processed food, are out of control and interfere with the consumer's ability to make healthy food choices. Problems with food labels can be broken down into three basic categories: -The Nutrition Facts Panel -Ingredient labels -False and misleading health-related claims The FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have recently begun addressing some of those challenges. The FDA has announced it will test consumer reactions to simplified nutrition labels that could be used on the fronts of packages, pressured General Mills to drop exaggerated health claims for Cheerios cereal and stopped the use of industry's Smart Choices program. The USDA has re-proposed rules requiring nutrition labeling on fresh meat and poultry and published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in an effort to stop misleading "All Natural" claims on meat and poultry labels. But much more work needs to be done.