New Rules for Food Labels

The United States Food & Drug Administration wants to update the rules that allow food manufacturers to use the word healthy on their packages.

If new rules are approved, 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 and added sugars. So foods like highly sweetened yogurt would no longer be able to feature the “healthy” label.

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