Making sense of new food labels
Adam’s Journal
As is often the case, this question comes from my ever-curious girlfriend:
Dear Dr. Prescott: While eating my favorite brand of frozen dinner the other night, I noticed that the nutrition label on the package had changed. I’d recently tossed an old box in the recycling bin, and when I pulled it out and compared the two, I saw a number of differences. But one in particular intrigued me.
Why have listings for vitamins A and C been replaced by potassium and vitamin D?
— Mary Schneeberger,
Oklahoma City
Dr. Prescott Prescribes
In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration adopted a new nutrition facts label for packaged foods. The idea was to make it easier for consumers to make informed — and, presumably, healthier — food choices.
Of course, as with most federal regulations, this one did not take effect immediately. You might think a lead time of two and one-half years would have been sufficient for implementation. But when this summer’s deadline approached, many food manufacturers squawked, and the government rolled back the target date until 2020 (and 2021 for small food makers).
Nevertheless, quite a few companies have gone ahead and started using the new labels now.
The most noticeable change is the listing of calories, which has grown considerably larger and bolder. You’ll now have a much harder time ignoring the fact that a serving of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has 300 or so calories.
The new labels also include an entry for “added sugars,” designed to help people limit their intake of these types of foods, which have been shown to have a variety of negative health effects. Meanwhile, the labels have eliminated the old “calories from fat” entry, as research has failed to show this is a meaningful number.
As you noticed, some of the information regarding vitamins changed as well.
Previously, the labels showed the percentages of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins A and C that a food supplied. However, the FDA determined that this information was no longer relevant, as just about every American receives adequate levels of these vitamins through a normal diet. As a result, it’s extremely rare to see deficiencies in these areas.
Instead, the new label has substituted vitamin D and potassium, as Americans don’t always get the recommended amounts of these substances.
Other than sunlight, there are few natural sources of vitamin D. But research has increasingly pointed to its importance in maintaining our health and well-being.
Vitamin D has been shown to be essential for calcium absorption and bone growth. It also plays a role in cell growth, function of the immune system, and reducing inflammation.
Meanwhile, we’ve also seen an uptick in cases of potassium deficiency. This mineral is present in every cell in the body and plays a crucial role in maintaining water balance and blood pressure.
Low potassium levels are often caused by prescription diuretics, medications most frequently used to treat high blood pressure. But diet can also be a culprit. So, it’s important to ensure that you’re consuming recommended levels of this mineral, which is one of the body’s four essential electrolytes.
On the new labels, you’ll also find percentages for iron and calcium. These are holdovers from the old labels that continue to be listed because significant numbers of Americans still fall short in these areas.
Kudos to you for being such an observant consumer! Nevertheless, whenever you can, try to trade packaged foods for fresh ones. They may not come with labels, but when you eat an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, you can rest assured you’re doing right by your body.