doreen T
Fri, Nov-21-03, 10:37
U.S. regulators weigh food label changes
Last Updated: 2003-11-21 10:12:18 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Maggie Fox
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials said on Thursday they were considering changing food labeling regulations so consumers can more easily figure out what is in that packet of snacks or soft drink.
At a meeting to discuss the touchy subject of food labeling, consumer groups called for easy-to-read, detailed labels while food manufacturers and others disagreed.
No moves are imminent, but FDA staff plans to report on the issue to the commissioner, Dr. Mark McClellan, by February.
Christine Taylor, director of the FDA's office of nutritional products, labeling and dietary supplements, said one likely change will be to make manufacturers spell out how many calories are in each package, instead of breaking it down into servings and making consumers do the math.
"Part of it, of course, is that packaging has gotten bigger," Taylor said in an interview. She also said the FDA had failed to fully enforce its labeling requirements for the past 10 years.
Susan Cummings of the American Dietetic Association said labels are often misleading.
"In my opinion, the current labels should be modified so that the information provided on single servings such as a bag of chips, cookies, beverages such as soda, reflect the amount in the container," she told the meeting.
WHEN IS A SODA REALLY TWO SODAS?
"It has been my experience that most consumers do not look at the serving size first," Cummings added. "It seems misleading to label a 20-ounce bottle of soda as two to three servings."
Food labels now lay out how many calories there are per serving, how many servings are in the package, how much fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, sugar, fiber and protein it contains and details of some key vitamins.
Taylor said researchers now know more about nutrition than they did when the labels were introduced more than a decade ago, and the FDA wants new labels to reflect that.
Some at the meeting complained that the labels are hard to read.
"Consumers shouldn't really have to have a degree in nutrition...or get out a calculator...or put on their reading glasses," said Carol Tucker Foreman of the Consumer Federation of America.
But food manufacturers said the labels contain plenty of information already.
"We need to encourage consumers to look at the serving size and the calories," said Alison Kretser of the Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Some experts said simply changing labels may not affect the growing obesity crisis. More than two thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, raising their risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing and nutritional science at the University of Illinois, said consumers ignore labels.
The size of the package has a bigger influence, he said. "People who pour from larger containers eat more than those pouring from small," he said.
He also found people ate more popcorn from larger containers - even when the popcorn was stale.
The FDA is also considering requiring restaurants, particularly chain restaurants with standardized portions and recipes, to more clearly label how many calories and fat are in each serving.
Foreman said her group would welcome that. "You could think, 'well if I am going to have that size hamburger, maybe I should skip the milkshake today,"' she said.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2003/11/21/eline/links/20031121elin012.html
Last Updated: 2003-11-21 10:12:18 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Maggie Fox
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials said on Thursday they were considering changing food labeling regulations so consumers can more easily figure out what is in that packet of snacks or soft drink.
At a meeting to discuss the touchy subject of food labeling, consumer groups called for easy-to-read, detailed labels while food manufacturers and others disagreed.
No moves are imminent, but FDA staff plans to report on the issue to the commissioner, Dr. Mark McClellan, by February.
Christine Taylor, director of the FDA's office of nutritional products, labeling and dietary supplements, said one likely change will be to make manufacturers spell out how many calories are in each package, instead of breaking it down into servings and making consumers do the math.
"Part of it, of course, is that packaging has gotten bigger," Taylor said in an interview. She also said the FDA had failed to fully enforce its labeling requirements for the past 10 years.
Susan Cummings of the American Dietetic Association said labels are often misleading.
"In my opinion, the current labels should be modified so that the information provided on single servings such as a bag of chips, cookies, beverages such as soda, reflect the amount in the container," she told the meeting.
WHEN IS A SODA REALLY TWO SODAS?
"It has been my experience that most consumers do not look at the serving size first," Cummings added. "It seems misleading to label a 20-ounce bottle of soda as two to three servings."
Food labels now lay out how many calories there are per serving, how many servings are in the package, how much fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, sugar, fiber and protein it contains and details of some key vitamins.
Taylor said researchers now know more about nutrition than they did when the labels were introduced more than a decade ago, and the FDA wants new labels to reflect that.
Some at the meeting complained that the labels are hard to read.
"Consumers shouldn't really have to have a degree in nutrition...or get out a calculator...or put on their reading glasses," said Carol Tucker Foreman of the Consumer Federation of America.
But food manufacturers said the labels contain plenty of information already.
"We need to encourage consumers to look at the serving size and the calories," said Alison Kretser of the Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Some experts said simply changing labels may not affect the growing obesity crisis. More than two thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, raising their risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing and nutritional science at the University of Illinois, said consumers ignore labels.
The size of the package has a bigger influence, he said. "People who pour from larger containers eat more than those pouring from small," he said.
He also found people ate more popcorn from larger containers - even when the popcorn was stale.
The FDA is also considering requiring restaurants, particularly chain restaurants with standardized portions and recipes, to more clearly label how many calories and fat are in each serving.
Foreman said her group would welcome that. "You could think, 'well if I am going to have that size hamburger, maybe I should skip the milkshake today,"' she said.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2003/11/21/eline/links/20031121elin012.html