FDA proposes new nutrition label to warn about sugar

A move by the Food and Drug Administration could soon change what you see on food labels.

The FDA plan would include percent daily value for sugar, like it does for carbohydrates, fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Read more: Factsheet on the new proposed nutrition facts label

The percent daily value reflects how much of a certain nutrient you should consume based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

In 2013, Congress passed the Food Labeling Modernization Act that instructed the FDA to update food labels with a number of changes, including requiring food companies to provide more realistic serving sizes, and prominently labeling the total calories per serving.

Here’s a look at the proposed changes from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 

Read more: This cereal is in trouble with the food police

Adding percent daily value for sugar was another requirement of the FDA in that law. Two years later, the FDA is now issuing the formal proposal. The FDA will seek public comment for 75 days. At that point, the FDA will make a final rule on the change.

Sugar linked to increased heath risks

Research links high sugar consumption with increased health risks like heart disease, weight gain, and diabetes.

Read more: 19 ‘healthy’ foods you should reconsider

The Center for Science in the Public Interest supports the proposal and says ‘modernization of nutrition and health information on food labels is an essential weapon in the fight against obesity and diet-related diseases.’