From Health News:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cracked down on the food industry and false labeling claims, and in an effort to take it a step further, are developing a proposal for front-of-the-package labeling system. However, food manufacturers have developed their own guidelines and are now debuting their front label “Nutrition Keys” to help consumers make informed decisions.
The new labels, called nutrition keys, were developed by Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and will be put into practice later this year. Appearing on the front of packages, these keys will display calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugars. Some manufacturers will take it one step further and display those ingredients which might be appealing to consumers, such as fiber, vitamins, or protein. The full nutrition labeling will still appear on the back or side of packaging.
"The industry's unveiling today of its front-of-package labeling system is troubling and confirms that this effort should not circumvent or influence FDA's effort to develop strong guidelines," Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said in a statement. Despite the pre-emptive move by the industry, the FDA will continue with its plans to prescribe guidelines for front-of-the-package labeling, independent of what the industry has already announced.
Nutrition labels are an important factor in shopping and preparing for a healthy diet. While you might think that consumers don’t bother reading the grams and percentages of fat, cholesterol, fiber, protein, sugar, and vitamins, you would be wrong. An FDA Health and Diet Survey found that approximately 50 percent of shoppers take the time to check out food labels and the ingredient lists before buying a product. Understanding all the verbiage may be another matter, however.
The good news is that a study published last fall in the Journal of Consumer Affairs found that people who observe the labels and do not exercise display a slightly greater likelihood of weight loss than those who do exercise but do not pay attention to food labels. If label readers add in an exercise routine, the combination can mean success. They also found that women between the ages of 37-50 years are more likely to read food labels than men, and are therefore more likely to lose weight, and older individuals are less likely to lose weight by reading food labels.
