They’ve all made it to the label. The food label that is! The FDA recently announced that they are making a few changes to Nutrition Facts Labels to help consumers make better informed food selections.

What was the issue with the current labels? Well, there isn’t necessarily an “issue,” but with new scientific evidence about nutrition, the FDA decided that the labels need to better reflect the current landscape of our nutritional needs.

So, what’s changed?

• Added Sugars will now be part of the label: It is recommended that we consume no more than ten percent of our caloric intake from added sugar. Well, how would we know? With the addition of added sugar, it will be much easier for you to stay within the recommended amount.
• Vitamin D and Potassium will be required to be on the label and Vitamins A and C no longer need to appear. Research has shown that there is a general deficiency of Vitamin D and Potassium in our diets, as opposed to Vitamins A and C where people generally consume the daily recommended amount.
• Serving size will now reflect the amount of food or beverages currently consumed by people. For example, ice cream where a serving was ½ cup, it will be increased to 2/3 cup. You will also notice the same product with two sizes having different labels, both showing one serving, such as 12 and 20 ounce bottles. In addition, type size for “Calories,” “Servings per container,” and “Serving size” will be increased with calorie amount and “Serving Size” being bolded.