Michelle Obama on Friday unveiled the Food and Drug Administration’s first new nutrition facts label update in more than 20 years.
It’s a major improvement, but one thing still is missing: information on whether the products on supermarket shelves contain genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.
A comprehensive report on GMOs was issued last week by the authoritative National Academy of Sciences, which found genetically engineered crops appear to be safe to eat and do not harm the environment. But the biotech food industry is still young enough that the long-term impacts of genetically engineered products can’t be fully understood.
Even if GMOs prove to have no detrimental impact over time, there is a principle to justify labeling. Simply put, consumers with concerns have the right to know if the items they are purchasing contain GMOs, the same as consumers in 64 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Japan, China and 28 European Union nations.
Shoppers will see the new FDA labels on some products as early as this summer, although the deadline for manufacturers isn’t until July 2018. The labels will make it much easier to assess the nutritional quality of foods.
The new “added sugars” category is receiving the most attention, with good reason. Not to be confused with sugars that occur naturally in fruits and vegetables, added sugar is table sugar (sucrose) or high fructose corn syrup added to food and beverages during processing.
America’s continuing reliance on processed foods does not bode well. Nutrition experts agree that added sugar is one of the worst ingredients in the modern diet.
The cost and scope of the problem is disturbing. Over-consumption of sugar is a major contributor to our growing obesity problem, costing taxpayers billions in unnecessary health care costs. The average American consumes more than 120 grams of sugar per day, the equivalent of three 12-ounce cans of Coca-Cola.
Yet this is a habit that can be reversed. Our Canadian neighbors only consume about 89 grams per day. Consumers in Spain (70 grams), France (68 grams) Japan (56 grams) and Italy (57 grams) are far closer to the 50 grams per day recommended by the American Heart Association. Reducing sugar intake depends, to begin with, a better informed consumer.
The second significant change in the nutrition facts label is a more accurate reflection of the serving size of foods. The old labels allowed producers to determine the serving size, which has led to things like a little bag of snacks being listed as two or three servings, when you know whoever opens it will eat the whole thing.
The new labels will reflect what people typically eat at one time, giving them a clearer idea of their actual caloric intake. The serving size and the calories per serving will be in bigger, bolder type. These changes should help Americans become more aware of what they’re consuming.
Nutritionists see some shortcomings in the new labels, and many consumers are disappointed that GMOs are left out.
Making them part of the overall update would have saved time and money. But this is a significant improvement that will help Americans interested in eating healthier.
Bay Area News Group
