Last month I shared information about the new voluntary Facts Up Front package labeling system proposed by the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association) and the FMI (Food Marketing Institute). I also mentioned that the IOM (Institute of Medicine) would be providing their consensus report and recommendations as well. Well, the IOM has released their final report and recommendations for front-of-package nutrition rating systems and symbols to help promote healthier food choices. It looks like instead of playing the game of red light, green light, they would rather give us gold stars. The IOM report recommends going away from front-of-package systems that only provide fact based information. This is largely because they provide no guidance or interpretation regarding the healthfulness of the product based on the nutrition facts provided. Instead, they recommend a simple visual that would allow consumers to make healthier selections without additional reading or interpretation. The IOM recommends the FDA develop a point system consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that focuses specifically on the saturated and trans fats, sugars and sodium content of the food or beverage. The higher the point value, the healthier the product is thought to be. The point system would transfer into zero to three symbols such as stars or check marks. The belief is that the consumer would be able to interpret quickly the nutritional value of a product by the number of symbols. Consumers might find no stars, check marks, or symbols on a potato chips bag, two on raisin bran flakes cereal, and three on whole grain bread. The American Dietetic Association applauds the IOM report and recommendations especially if the symbols are integrated with nutrition facts and appear in a consistent location on all product labels. It is possible for the symbols recommended in the IOM report to work with the Facts Up Front nutrition information highlights since they both focus predominantly on calories per serving, fat, sodium, and sugars. It is unclear if FDA and private industry will collaborate to merge aspects of each but the decision for implementation now resides with the Food and Drug Administration. Do you think a zero to three stars visual on product packages would help you make healthier food and beverage choices when you are shopping for groceries?
Like what you read? Get your free account today!
Got a story idea? Give us a shout!
|
More From SparkPeople
|
Comments
Report
Frankly, I don't trust the FDA to decide what's healthy for me. As far as the FDA is concerned, consumers take a back seat to the big pharma and industrial food industries.
These are the people who threatened to sue cherry growers for making unauthorized health claims when the growers cited a scientific study identifying health benefits of the anthocyanins in cherries.
These are the people that banned sales of a Vitamin B6 supplement, because a pharmaceutical company wanted to develop it as a drug.
Leave the facts on the labels (such as they are, since they too are defined by the FDA and carefully manipulated by the manufacturers). But you can spare me the FDA's purchased opinion. Report
I don't think there is some kind of conspiracy going on, but stars, checks and fireworks don't mean diddly to me. If I can't read the nutritional information, I won't buy the product - it's that simple. Report
And the stars may be better than colors- there are many colorblind folks ! Report
I personally would still want all the nutritional info. Really, it couldn't hurt for them to pimp that info up some more, because many of the green foods, for example, don't look like much in terms of fiber or sugars or proteins already required on the nutritional info, but are super rich in the minerals and vitamins that may not be one of the four basics (A, C, Calcium & Iron) that are already sort of required on nutritional labels. I'd like to know and/or be reminded of that info as well, when shopping (even for raw produce where the labels are not applied to each piece of fruit or veggie!)... Report
I still need to read ingredients completely. I also resent the government feeling they know what is good for my family. I would prefer it if they focused on the childrens lunches at school and sending home complete menus with food ingredients would be more helpful to me, also offering more vegetarian choices at the schools. My kids didn't feel green salads every day was enough to satisfy them. And what about children with milk or moral issues with dairy? Are there not other nutritious drinks the schools can offer besides water? Report
My only concern would be that the system loses the all things in moderation message. Taking the example of three stars for wholegrain bread - of course this is a good choice for bread, but eating a whole loaf is not.
I think pushing portion sizes and measuring should be a really important part of health marketing. Report
Children do not need yet another lesson in life taken away to make it easier to get them to comply. Life is a learning process, our brains need to figure things out for our individual needs. If you can count to ten, you can read a label with numbers that pertain to you as an individual. I think they are practicing the Peter Principle. Report
I value your opinion as a nutrition professional, Tanya. What do you think about all of these labels, graphics, and systems?
Report
HOWEVER, I can honestly say that seeing this in place in the store here I have even witnessed children taking an interest in the stars. Wake up! this could really augment the nutritional labels and poeple who choose not to read or cannot read the label has a primer in what is good for them.
I will tell you this store has Nutritionists who are in the store and available to their customers. They have their own healthy choices magazine and coupons for star items in the magazine. I have taken their courses even though this is not my go to shopping store. This is the HANNAFORD grocery chain and I assure you I have seen this work. If children can be raised on a BEST-BETTER-GOOD-NOSTARS system on the package front and we still have what we already have. PLEASE keep it simple and we might get the idea of better nutrition to the masses it could help. Lets not be too selfish here. We have the benefit of better education I am sure. Lets give the stars a universal chance PLEASE!. Pat in Maine. Report
Moreover, I wonder whether this way of thinking from the food industry (we will make it simpler for you, we will be your big daddy, decide for you) is a result of people getting actually too knowledgeable about the food. "Hey, dude, they don't wanna buy our junk for we have to reveal that it actually is a junk at the back of the package... could we get rid of this somehow???"
Please people, trusting recommendations of food industry on healthy food choices is like getting an advice on your finances from a money lender :) They need you to be fat, to consume, consume, consume... until you crack :D Report
Peanut butter is one of the most healthy sources for protein-fat-carbs for me. However, it is heavy on calories, so over eating it is unhealthy. So how many start would you give for it?
Cucumber is tasty, and low in calories. However, eating a cucumber offsets the fiber balance for the day. So how many stars?
I have seen so many diet systems with points, and ratings, and classification. None of them worked for me.
What worked, is counting the calories for weight loss, and reading the labels to eat what I want. Report
(Also, some more pressure on the numbers reported to be more accurate would be nice.)
The stars - I still wouldn't like it but scale of 10 might be somewhat informative but 3 is stupid/useless. Overly simple and each category is way too broad. Also the way they assign point scale and weight the factors may work for some but may not work for many people.
I actually find the 3 star idea insulting. If they don't think we understand the numbers then educate us. Stop treating us all as if we have IQs under 20 and no education beyond 2nd grade and no ability to learn anything more. Report
HOWEVER I do and many of us use the nutrition label to input our food on the tracker. I would hope that the Nutrition information would not be removed altogether. That would be a big loss for those of us who rely on its information.
I much prefer the label, back or front but I think we will be short-changed. I see the label becoming simpler to the point it does not give us who want it the FULL information as it does now.
That will not be progress, it would be problematic.
Pat in Maine,
Report