NightSwimmer
Senator
Should processed food producers be allowed to keep their ingredients secret? Is the need to know what one is eating significant enough to warrant government regulation of food labeling? Is there room for improvement in the current regime of required ingredient and nutritional labels?
New food labels would highlight calories and sugar
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Those "Nutrition Facts" labels on nearly every food package in grocery stores are getting a new look.
Calories would be in larger, bolder type, and consumers would know whether foods have added sugars under label changes proposed by the Obama administration Thursday. Serving sizes would be updated to make them more realistic. A serving of ice cream, for example, would double to a full cup, closer to what people actually eat.
The proposed overhaul comes as nutritionists' views have shifted. While fat was the focus two decades ago when the labels first were created, there is now more concern about how many calories we eat. And serving sizes have long been misleading, with many single-serving packages listing multiple servings, so their calorie count is lower.
The idea isn't that people should eat more; it's that they should understand how many calories are in what they are actually eating. The Food and Drug Administration says that by law, serving sizes must be based on actual consumption, not ideal consumption.
New food labels would highlight calories and sugar
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Those "Nutrition Facts" labels on nearly every food package in grocery stores are getting a new look.
Calories would be in larger, bolder type, and consumers would know whether foods have added sugars under label changes proposed by the Obama administration Thursday. Serving sizes would be updated to make them more realistic. A serving of ice cream, for example, would double to a full cup, closer to what people actually eat.
The proposed overhaul comes as nutritionists' views have shifted. While fat was the focus two decades ago when the labels first were created, there is now more concern about how many calories we eat. And serving sizes have long been misleading, with many single-serving packages listing multiple servings, so their calorie count is lower.
The idea isn't that people should eat more; it's that they should understand how many calories are in what they are actually eating. The Food and Drug Administration says that by law, serving sizes must be based on actual consumption, not ideal consumption.
