by Amy Spangler
January 25, 2010

You grab a tub of ice cream off the grocery store shelf and survey the labels. Fat–15 grams per serving. But how much of that is the good kind of fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) and how much is bad (saturated and trans fats)? Unless you are a dietitian, deciphering nutrition labels is next to impossible.

Apparently sharing in the frustration, Congress has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to instruct the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to review nutrition rating systems found on the front of food packages and report its findings before the end of the year. Among the instructions to the IOM:

• Identify front-of-package systems currently in use by manufacturers, supermarkets, health organizations, and governments.

• Identify the purpose and overall merits of front-label nutrition icons.

• Identify the criteria underlying the systems and evaluate the science behind the systems.

• Identify advantages and disadvantages of each for adults and children.

• Develop conclusions about which system(s) are most effective in promoting health and how to maximize the use and effectiveness of the system(s).

• Consider the feasibility of a single, standardized front-of-package food nutrition rating system regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Driven by consumer demand for healthier, safer, and more environmentally friendly food products, the use of symbols, logos, and icons on the front of food labels to communicate nutritional information has become commonplace. This at times undecipherable information is used to show not only the fat, sugar, salt, and calorie content, but whether the ingredients are genetically modified, organically grown, or cage-free. Happy-go-lucky hens? Not quite.

The point is, food labels need to be standardized and certifications need to be regulated and both need to be clearly communicated to consumers In the United Kingdom, the front of food packages is labeled with traffic lights. A red light means the food is high in a nutrient that should be eaten in small amounts, such as salt or sugar. A yellow light indicates that the food isn’t high or low in that nutrient, making it a better choice, albeit not the green choice. Green lights indicate the food is low in that nutrient. The more green lights, the healthier the choice.

Indicative of the controversy surrounding food labeling, the Smart Choices program was short-lived. A voluntary program supported by the nation’s largest food manufacturers, products approved by Smart Choices display a bright green check mark indicating that a particular food is a healthier choice than other foods in the same group. Only when the Smart Choices label appeared on sugared cereals and other foods considered less than nutritious did the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture decide to monitor the effect of the program on consumer food choices. The Smart Choices board responded by suspending operations.

Surveys show that consumers base their food purchases on how healthy a product is or isn’t. However, the lack of a uniform rating system makes it difficult for consumers to compare foods and make not only healthier choices but healthy choices. This review by the IOM is an encouraging first step. Let’s hope it works. For the health of it.

Editor’s Note—October 23, 2011
In 2010, Congress instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Institute of Medicine (IOM), Food and Drug Administration, and Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate existing rating systems and consumer understanding of various systems. A first report analyzed the nutrition rating systems and the scientific research that underlies them and was released in 2010. A second report released October 13, 2011 addresses consumer use and understanding of front of package (FOP) nutrition rating systems.

The report concludes that it is time for a move away from front-of-package systems that mostly provide nutrition information on foods or beverages but don’t give clear guidance about their healthfulness, and toward one that encourages healthier choices through simplicity, visual clarity, and the ability to convey meaning without written information. The report recommends that the Food and Drug Administration develop, test, and implement a single, standard FOP symbol system to appear on all food and beverage products, in place of other systems already in use. The symbol system should show calories in household servings on all products. Foods and beverages should be evaluated using a point system for saturated and trans fats and sodium, and added sugars. The more points a food or beverage has, the healthier it is. This system would encourage food and beverage producers to develop healthier fare and consumers to quickly and easily find healthier products when they shop.