Proposed FDA label would give context to correct sugar amounts in foods

Start with your calories, and use the first 3 numbers for the 10 percent added sugar goal (1,500 daily calories is 150; 2,400 daily calories is 240).

Companies would be required to label the amount of added sugar as a per cent of recommended daily calorie intake under a proposal on Friday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

And oddly, the FDA’s proposal would far exceed the Dietary Guidelines reports from 2015 in scientific integrity. And it’s killing the trees.

“Consumers tell us what is most valuable to them when it comes to sugar is the total amount of sugar in the food they eat”, Jeff Beckman, a spokesman for the candy maker, said in an e-mail. Medical specialists advocate that the day by day restrict ought to by no means surpass 50 grams of added sugars, or 10 % of every day energy. Research also shows a direct connection between sugar and insulin resistance, or Type II diabetes.

The link between sugar and diverse health issues has been well documented. That 24 grams is the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of table sugar.

Adding new line for added sugars, or those that don’t occur naturally, is part of an overhaul of the nutrition facts label proposed last year by the Obama administration.

Damon Gameau, an Australian actor and filmmaker, has made a documentary to raise awareness of all of the hidden added sugars in everyday foods, and how to figure out where this sugar is. The committee reported that it may be hard for consumers to meet nutrient requirements while staying within recommendations for sugar consumption.

Including the percentage of recommended daily intake of added sugar seems to be an attempt to make things a little clearer. UCS will be working with our supporters and the public health community to support the public’s right to know about added sugar in their foods.

Footnote: FDA is also proposing to change the current footnote on the Nutrition Facts label to help consumers understand the percent daily value concept. The proposed rule did not include the declaration of the percent daily value for added sugars.

In a press release announcing the new proposal, Susan Mayne, Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, stated, “The FDA has a responsibility to give consumers the information they need to make informed dietary decisions for themselves and their families”.

Labels already require listing the percentage of a daily recommended limit for total fat, saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, total carbohydrate, calcium, fiber and iron, she noted.

The FDA proposal on added sugar content is still open for public comment for 75 days and is still subject for revisions before it is formally implemented, Christian Today has learned.