![]() ![]() It’s great if you want to read the whole label, but certain parts may be more important and allow us to focus on our personal nutrition needs.” “We can pick and choose the parts of the label that mean the most to each of us. Or maybe you’ve been told to watch your fat and sodium intake because you have high blood pressure in that case, you may read the label to quickly know how many calories, grams of fat or sodium is in a food.” “If you are watching your weight or concerned about pre-diabetes, then it’s much easier to look at calories and added sugars. “The new label is user-friendly and contains as much information as most of us would really need when choosing foods,” Procter said. More information about all of the changes on the nutrition facts label is available online from the FDA. “Most of us really don’t want to do that when it comes to limiting or determining our food intake.” “That information was there before, but you had to invest time and some thought process to find it,” Procter said. The new food labels not only include the quantity of sodium, potassium and other nutrients in a single serving, but also the percentage one serving contributes to the daily dietary guidelines of a given nutrient – called the Percent Daily Value. “Fruits, vegetables, milk and other dairy products are good sources of potassium.” “So, while we are carefully watching our salt intake, we might want to be more interested in sources that are high in potassium,” Procter said. Eating foods high in potassium helps to offset high levels of sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure and other disease. Potassium, she adds, forms a pump with sodium to keep fluids in balance in and around cells. So, it makes sense for us to look at a food label and determine that a food is a great source of vitamin D.” And it works with calcium to support bone health and bone strength. “Vitamin D is important to boost our auto-immune systems. “But vitamin D is limited in food sources.” “Vitamin D is activated in the liver and is made by our bodies when we spend a little time out in the sun each day,” Procter said. Procter said the new labels reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, identifying vitamin D and the mineral potassium as nutrients where most U.S. Before, the nutrients highlighted were vitamin A and vitamin C, which are nutrients of concern in other countries, but not in the United States. In addition to larger print, the new label is more clear on the number of calories per serving of any given food, and lists information on nutrients considered more vital for overall health.įor example, Procter said, “vitamin D and potassium were never on the label until now. Public input was also considered, Procter said. ![]() The new label not only reflects more of what we know about foods, but also is based on current nutrition and public health research, and the updated dietary guidelines for Americans. “It allows each of us to control what we are putting into our bodies.” ![]() “The consumer is the winner here,” Procter said. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales were required to switch to the new label by January 1 of this year those with less than $10 million in annual sales must meet the labeling requirements by January 1, 2021. Since that time, American food companies have gradually come into compliance. Food and Drug Administration initially published rules on changing nutrition information on food labels in 2016, citing the need for those labels to reflect updated scientific information, including the link between diet and such chronic diseases as obesity and heart disease. – Kansas State University nutrition specialist Sandy Procter says recent changes to nutrition labels on most foods should be viewed as a great ally for consumers and their good health. Nutrition expert says new food label is a ‘win’ for consumers Changes reflect guidance, nutrients important for American’s health ![]() The previous nutrition facts label approved by the Food and Drug Administration (left) and the updated version (right). ![]()
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