One of the easiest ways to know what’s *actually* in your favorite store-bought foods – the heat-and-eat tamales, instant udon, or that strawberry granola you can’t live without – is to check out the nutrition facts label located on the back of the package.
The nutrition facts label hadn’t had a major update in 20 years, and yeah, a lot’s changed in the last 2 decades.
Let’s take a closer look at the brand spankin’ new FDA nutrition facts label and why these long overdue changes are good news.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency in charge of food safety and protecting public health, determines what goes on the label.
In a nutshell, the new and improved nutrition facts label makes it easier for you to recognize and understand the basics about the food products you buy.
Some info on the new label is highlighted while other parts were changed or added, making it harder for food companies to be shady AF when it comes to the serving sizes and ingredients used in their products.
To adjust, the FDA updated some serving sizes on the new label, including the serving size for soft drinks, to more accurately reflect what the average American consumes today.
Perhaps the most loved part of the new nutrition label is – calories.
Vitamins A and C were removed from the label because deficiencies in these vitamins are rare in the U.S. But food companies can still list vitamins A and C on their nutrition labels if they choose.
One BIG change: It’s now required for products that contain added sugars to list the total amount of added sugar on the label.
In addition to added sugars, vitamin D and potassium are also required to be listed on the new nutrition facts label.
The new nutrition facts label has been updated with some really vital info for health-conscious consumers, including a call-out for added sugars, potassium, and vitamin D, along with new serving sizes and DVs. Plus, calories and serving sizes are now printed in in-your-face bold text, so they’re harder to miss.