New Rules for Food Labels

The United States Food & Drug Administration plans to update its rules for labeling food packages. These rules tell companies which foods can be labeled “healthy.”

The new rules have not yet been approved. If they are, only certain foods will be able to carry the “healthy” label. These include nuts and seeds, some oils, and fatty fish like salmon. The plan places stricter limits on sodium. It puts new limits on added sugars, too. Highly sweetened yogurts would no longer be able to use the “healthy” label.

“Nutrition is key to improving our nation’s health,” Xavier Becerra said on September 28. He leads the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. “But too many people may not know what constitutes healthy food,” he added. The plan, he said, would “educate more Americans.”