Food Labeling
With increasing consumer awareness of nutrition, and the influence of nutrients on dietary related diseases, the need for accurate and standardization of nutrition labeling is apparent.
The eating habits of Americans have changed extensively since the turn of the century. Changes have occurred in the composition of foods because of improved production methods, new varieties, and advances in food processing.
The primary changes in the past 70 years have been an increase in the percentage contributed by fats, oils, sugars, and sweeteners and a decrease in the percentage contributed by grain products. Although no change has occurred in the amount of protein consumed, a greater proportion now comes from animal sources. Dietary fiber is considerably below the recommended level. In general, intakes of vitamins and minerals are adequate in the United States today.
From a general marketing standpoint, it is readily apparent that nutrition "sells" to today's consumer, making nutrition an integral part of product development and promotion. Consumer feedback is a powerful mechanism for manufacturers in developing new products that provide the health and nutrition characteristics sought by the public. Food marketers guard a product's front panel with fervour for the purpose of promotion and competition, they oppose any labeling proposals that threaten their control of this part of food packages.
Americans are increasingly aware of health risks associated with sodium, fat, and cholesterol and report eating less salt, red meat, butter, whole milk, and eggs.
Studies on the use of food labels reveal that consumers want comprehensive nutrition information. About half of consumers report that labels fail to provide all the information they desire and that more information should be provided on caloric, fat, and sodium content.
Laboratory analysis provides quantitative nutrient information for nutrition labeling of food products. Considerable improvement is needed to validate and standardize analytical methods for use in nutrition labeling. Particular problems exist in the measurement of dietary fiber and many vitamins, and in databases used for foods for which direct laboratory analysis is impractical.
If consumers are to make the dietary adjustments recommended by health experts, they must be able to make informed choices in food selection, preparation, and consumption. Although about half of packaged foods currently carry nutrition labeling, the lack of relevant and consistent information on all food products is a major deterrent to consumers who wish to make informed choices.
The Committee on the Nutrition Components of Food Labeling, National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C., recommends that nutrition labeling be made mandatory on most packaged foods. There is no longer a plausible excuse for packaged foods not to provide nutrient information.
Current dietary recommendations advise consumers to modify their intake of certain food constituents. In considering those dietary recommendations, the committee believed that more categories of food should be required to carry nutrition labeling. That nutrition labeling be provided at the point of purchase for produce, seafood, meats, and poultry. In addition restaurants should make information on the nutrient content of menu items available to consumers on request.
Growing public interest in nutrition has led manufacturers to characterize their products as nutritionally beneficial through widespread use of principal display descriptors; this practice has drawn considerable attention from regulatory bodies and groups concerned with health.
Despite the high popularity of terms such as "low-calorie", "fat free", "no cholesterol", "fiber rich", and "lite", the potential for confusion, exaggeration, and deception has prompted proposals that these descriptors be prohibited. Although it may be truthful to label a food "no cholesterol", that descriptor would mislead someone if the food also contains substantial amounts of total fat and saturated fatty acids.
Nutrition information on food labels is a mechanism to provide information and facilitate behavior modification. The government should allow the information to appear and regulate content, format, and placement. Although information campaigns to promote health are generally aimed at enhancing knowledge, changing attitudes, and improving skills, changes in consumer knowledge and attitudes do not directly result in adoption of health-promoting practices. Consumers need information to make long-term dietary changes, yet more than just information is necessary to achieve this goal.
Dietitians are the health professionals most involved in educating consumers about the use of food labels in selecting foods to meet dietary goals. Most diet-related health problems develop gradually, without immediate or dramatic symptoms. Risk factor reduction and disease prevention through dietary change require individuals to make long-term and often arduous changes in food habits.
For the food industry, health professionals, and consumer groups, it will be of interest in terms of their own objectives in promoting nutrition labeling changes that are in line with current dietary recommendations and in product development. [Earl, R., Porter, D.V., Wellman, N.S., Nutrition labeling: Issues and directions for the '90s. Institute of Medicine National Academy of Sciences. September 1990.]
The rules of labeling are set out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The following are excerpts from comments presented to the Advisory Committee on the FDA's Subcommittee on Food and Veterinary Medicine, on September 6, 1990, by Nancy S. Wellman, PhD, RD, President of The American Dietetic Association.
FDA needs independence from politics, particularly in regard to rulemaking. FDA autonomy is essential to its mission. It has been dismaying for dietitians to see rulemaking proposals stalled and/or overturned as has happened in the past for health claims, cholesterol, and various food safety issues such as food colors. Food labeling is an example where FDA suffers from the lack of overarching government-wide policy. FDA must be allowed to make decisions independent of current Administration bias.
Dietitians believe Americans want a stronger, yet reasonable FDA - an FDA in tune with the times, an FDA with the autonomy to fulfill its mandate. The FDA must take a more contemporary, broader role in not only safeguarding, but improving the nutritional status of Americans.
Read more www.diet-and-health.net
The eating habits of Americans have changed extensively since the turn of the century. Changes have occurred in the composition of foods because of improved production methods, new varieties, and advances in food processing.
The primary changes in the past 70 years have been an increase in the percentage contributed by fats, oils, sugars, and sweeteners and a decrease in the percentage contributed by grain products. Although no change has occurred in the amount of protein consumed, a greater proportion now comes from animal sources. Dietary fiber is considerably below the recommended level. In general, intakes of vitamins and minerals are adequate in the United States today.
From a general marketing standpoint, it is readily apparent that nutrition "sells" to today's consumer, making nutrition an integral part of product development and promotion. Consumer feedback is a powerful mechanism for manufacturers in developing new products that provide the health and nutrition characteristics sought by the public. Food marketers guard a product's front panel with fervour for the purpose of promotion and competition, they oppose any labeling proposals that threaten their control of this part of food packages.
Americans are increasingly aware of health risks associated with sodium, fat, and cholesterol and report eating less salt, red meat, butter, whole milk, and eggs.
Studies on the use of food labels reveal that consumers want comprehensive nutrition information. About half of consumers report that labels fail to provide all the information they desire and that more information should be provided on caloric, fat, and sodium content.
Laboratory analysis provides quantitative nutrient information for nutrition labeling of food products. Considerable improvement is needed to validate and standardize analytical methods for use in nutrition labeling. Particular problems exist in the measurement of dietary fiber and many vitamins, and in databases used for foods for which direct laboratory analysis is impractical.
If consumers are to make the dietary adjustments recommended by health experts, they must be able to make informed choices in food selection, preparation, and consumption. Although about half of packaged foods currently carry nutrition labeling, the lack of relevant and consistent information on all food products is a major deterrent to consumers who wish to make informed choices.
The Committee on the Nutrition Components of Food Labeling, National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C., recommends that nutrition labeling be made mandatory on most packaged foods. There is no longer a plausible excuse for packaged foods not to provide nutrient information.
Current dietary recommendations advise consumers to modify their intake of certain food constituents. In considering those dietary recommendations, the committee believed that more categories of food should be required to carry nutrition labeling. That nutrition labeling be provided at the point of purchase for produce, seafood, meats, and poultry. In addition restaurants should make information on the nutrient content of menu items available to consumers on request.
Growing public interest in nutrition has led manufacturers to characterize their products as nutritionally beneficial through widespread use of principal display descriptors; this practice has drawn considerable attention from regulatory bodies and groups concerned with health.
Despite the high popularity of terms such as "low-calorie", "fat free", "no cholesterol", "fiber rich", and "lite", the potential for confusion, exaggeration, and deception has prompted proposals that these descriptors be prohibited. Although it may be truthful to label a food "no cholesterol", that descriptor would mislead someone if the food also contains substantial amounts of total fat and saturated fatty acids.
Nutrition information on food labels is a mechanism to provide information and facilitate behavior modification. The government should allow the information to appear and regulate content, format, and placement. Although information campaigns to promote health are generally aimed at enhancing knowledge, changing attitudes, and improving skills, changes in consumer knowledge and attitudes do not directly result in adoption of health-promoting practices. Consumers need information to make long-term dietary changes, yet more than just information is necessary to achieve this goal.
Dietitians are the health professionals most involved in educating consumers about the use of food labels in selecting foods to meet dietary goals. Most diet-related health problems develop gradually, without immediate or dramatic symptoms. Risk factor reduction and disease prevention through dietary change require individuals to make long-term and often arduous changes in food habits.
For the food industry, health professionals, and consumer groups, it will be of interest in terms of their own objectives in promoting nutrition labeling changes that are in line with current dietary recommendations and in product development. [Earl, R., Porter, D.V., Wellman, N.S., Nutrition labeling: Issues and directions for the '90s. Institute of Medicine National Academy of Sciences. September 1990.]
The rules of labeling are set out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The following are excerpts from comments presented to the Advisory Committee on the FDA's Subcommittee on Food and Veterinary Medicine, on September 6, 1990, by Nancy S. Wellman, PhD, RD, President of The American Dietetic Association.
FDA needs independence from politics, particularly in regard to rulemaking. FDA autonomy is essential to its mission. It has been dismaying for dietitians to see rulemaking proposals stalled and/or overturned as has happened in the past for health claims, cholesterol, and various food safety issues such as food colors. Food labeling is an example where FDA suffers from the lack of overarching government-wide policy. FDA must be allowed to make decisions independent of current Administration bias.
Dietitians believe Americans want a stronger, yet reasonable FDA - an FDA in tune with the times, an FDA with the autonomy to fulfill its mandate. The FDA must take a more contemporary, broader role in not only safeguarding, but improving the nutritional status of Americans.
Read more www.diet-and-health.net
posted by KBG at
12:30 AM
