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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hears you and responds. The agency just updated the nutritional requirements a food must meet to claim “healthy” on its package.
Overwhelming numbers of food options are available to us, including products labeled “healthy,” “low fat,” “low sugar,” “low calorie,” “nonfat,” “organic,” “not genetically modified,” and countless other catchy words and phrases. These labels are meant to entice us to buy foods that delude us into believing we’re doing the right thing for our bodies. It’s marketing sophistication raised to an art form.
So, how is it that an unprecedented number (about 70%) of American adults are overweight or obese? We eat too much fat, sodium, and gratuitous sugar, increasing our risks for chronic diseases, like heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes. The problems are even greater in some racial/ethnic groups, among people of lower socioeconomic status, in underserved communities, and in rural areas.
More than 80% of people in the U.S. are not eating enough vegetables, fruit, dairy, and seafood, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
It’s more tragic that about 36 percent of American children and adolescents are overweight or obese – their chance for long-term good health is jeopardized or stolen. We are seeing in children diseases that we used to see only in adults, like hypertension (high blood pressure) and Type 2 diabetes.
Updating the ‘healthy’ food definition
To help you pick out foods that support your goal of healthful eating, the FDA updated the definition of the “healthy” claim on packaging. In addition to the new criteria, the agency is considering developing a symbol that represents the health claim, making it even easier to spot the foods that support your goals.
It’s been more than 25 years since the term “healthy” was defined on packaging. It was based on science and federal dietary guidelines of the 1990s, and focused on single nutrients, with limitations on saturated and total fats, cholesterol, and sodium. The designation required certain amounts of nutrients like particular vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein.
The new requirements reflect today’s better understanding of eating patterns and their effects on health, including how nutrients work together. The updated definition requires that:
A food must contain a certain amount of a food group like grains, proteins, dairy, vegetables, and fruits.
Saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars are limited.
Using the “healthy” claim is voluntary. If manufacturers choose to claim the distinction, their products must have the nutrient content required by the “healthy” definition.
Manufacturers may begin using “healthy” on their packaging on February 25, 2025. The following are some examples of foods that qualify to use the “healthy” designation: nuts, seeds, olive oils, eggs, and higher-fat fish (such as salmon) all qualify according to their nutrient composition. They did not qualify under the previous definition. Water qualifies, not because it’s part of a food group but is considered the optimal beverage according to the Dietary Guidelines.
These do not qualify under the updated definition: Fortified white bread, highly sweetened yogurt, and highly sweetened cereal.
“It’s critical for the future of our country that food be a vehicle for wellness. Improving access to nutrition information is an important public health effort the FDA can undertake to help build healthy eating patterns,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf, in a statement. “It is vital that we focus on the key drivers to combat chronic disease, like healthy eating. Now, people will be able to look for the ‘healthy’ claim to help them find, foundational, nutritious foods for themselves and their families.”
Get ahold of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, try following them, and see how good you can feel.
