Water and salmon are now officially 'healthy'
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finalized a rule on what food companies can say is "healthy" to be more in line with the latest science.
For food packaging to have a "healthy" claim, it must have a certain amount of food recommended by the Dietary Guidelines and follow limits for saturated fat, sodium and added sugars,the FDA said Thursday.
"Providing informative and accessible food labeling empowers consumers and may help foster a healthier food supply for all if some manufacturers voluntarily reformulate food products to meet the updated criteria," the FDA said.
It marks the first overhaul of the FDA's definition of "healthy" since 1994 as part of efforts to fight chronic disease due to badeating habits.
For example, the FDA said for a cereal box to have a "healthy" label it needs to have a certain amount of whole grains and limitsaturated fat, sodiumand added sugars.
Before, nuts and seeds, higher fat fish, such as salmon, certain oils, some peanut butters, canned fruits and vegetablesand water didn't qualify for a "healthy" claim but now qualify because they are considered "foundational to a healthy eating pattern," the FDA said.
What impact will the updated 'healthy' rule have?
Food manufacturers can voluntarily choose to include a "healthy" claimif they meet requirements, the FDA said, adding that they have three years to conform but can use the new criteria sooner.
Still, the rule is expected to only "have a limited impact because it only applies to those few products bearing the voluntary 'healthy'claim," saidEva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.
She said "the most important step" the White House could take is publishing a new rule on mandatory front-of-package nutrition labeling, which the FDA proposed to the Biden administrationin late November.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-12-20 02:02:54
