The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is once again considering front-of-pack labeling “to help consumers interpret the nutrient information on food products.” This will also include the testing a controversial traffic light approach to show when a product is high or low in select nutrients and a design that recalls the industry-created voluntary Facts Up Front system.
The study is entitled “Quantitative Research on Front of Package Labeling on Packaged Foods.” The agency published a notice on January 25 of the upcoming labeling research project in the Federal Register for comments. The comment period will last 60 days. To read the notice click here.
The FDA cited the rise of chronic diseases that are diet-related among Americans for revisiting the issue. “To help address this problem … we are exploring the establishment of a standardized, science-based FOP scheme that helps consumers, particularly those with lower nutrition literacy, quickly and easily identify foods that are part of a healthy eating pattern,” the agency said in a Federal Register notice published last week.
The agency plans to hire a contractor to offer an online questionnaire to 3,000 residents selected to represent different ages, genders, education and backgrounds consistent with the most recent Census results. Participants will be shown different formats of front-of-pack labels and will answer questions on product content, label perceptions and purchase intent.
Establishing a new front-of-pack labeling system is an idea the Biden administration has championed, especially during last fall’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
The FDA has investigated front of package labeling changes over the past decade but this attempt could be stronger. The agency is using supporting documents available with the Federal Register to show how designs like “traffic light” colors could benefit consumers. The traffic light packaging system highlights if a product is high or low in saturated fat, sugar or sodium, as well as fiber and calcium.