In response to the FDA’s update announcement on March 1, Jim O’Hara, the special projects director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, stated that the new guidance regarding dietary fibers, added sugars, and serving sizes “should prompt the agency to reconsider its proposed postponement of the revised Nutrition Facts label.” The FDA had originally set a deadline of July 26, 2018, for the implementation of the new label; however, last June, it announced a delay until 2020 and 2021 due to concerns from some manufacturers and trade associations about meeting the requirement for mandatory GMO ingredient labeling beforehand.
With the new FDA guidance now available, O’Hara expressed that a compliance date in July 2019 for both small and large companies appears realistic and achievable. Although Gottlieb did not specifically address the compliance deadline issue last week, he mentioned that a final rule would be released this spring. He also indicated that the FDA would be outlining a nutrition strategy in the coming weeks aimed at “reducing preventable death and disease through better nutrition.”
Many food and beverage manufacturers, including Hershey, Campbell, and Mondelez, have already anticipated these changes and are incorporating the new Nutrition Facts labels into their products. Companies eager to stay ahead of the new regulations will likely begin implementing as much of the updated guidance as possible, as costs are expected to rise the longer compliance is delayed.
The revamped Nutrition Facts label introduces several significant updates, such as recalibrating serving sizes, prominently displaying calories per serving, and including details on added sugars and dietary fiber. It will also feature the amounts of vitamin D and potassium per serving, alongside calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Notably, the Nutrition Facts label has not seen an update in nearly 20 years.