Inquiry Arises Regarding Newly Proposed, Optional Food Nutrition Labels
The Institute of Medicine is set to release a new report titled "Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols: Phase II Report" on Wednesday. This report is the second part of a study requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
The report comes amidst growing concern over the proliferation of nutritional labels and their impact on consumers. The "Facts Up Front" labeling scheme, sponsored by industry groups such as the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Food Marketing Institute, and the International Food Information Council, has been a subject of scrutiny.
Companies such as PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Unilever, as well as private-label brands like Spartan, have adopted the "Facts Up Front" scheme, with most announcing their adoption around 2011. However, critics, including the New England Journal of Medicine, have questioned the credibility of the program, labeling it an "abuse of trust by the food industry".
One of the main concerns is the potential for food manufacturers to manipulate nutrients to make junk food sound healthier with the addition of vitamins. Another issue is the confusion that may arise from the plethora of symbols used in the labeling scheme.
The first part of the report, titled "Front-of-package nutrition rating systems and symbols: Phase I Report", was released about a year ago. It recommended that calorie counts and per-serving information be conveyed in ordinary household measurements to help consumers make informed choices.
The new report is expected to discuss these issues in depth, providing valuable insights for dieticians and other experts. It is also expected to address consumer responsibility in making purchasing decisions, suggesting that consumers may need to spend more time than "a few seconds" on these decisions to make informed choices about food health.
The report can be accessed through the Institute of Medicine media room web page on Wednesday, on an embargoed basis. Packaging Digest, a trade magazine, could provide further insight into this process, as companies are redesigning packaging for the new labeling system, presenting an opportunity to explore the trial-and-error process of creating a new and appealing label that also provides nutritional information.
Interestingly, some colleges and universities offer courses and degrees in the art and science of packaging, making for interesting career and green business stories. As the "Facts Up Front" voluntary labeling scheme becomes more common on supermarket shelves, the study's findings are expected to have a significant impact on the packaging industry and consumer behaviour.
