FDA Calls for New Food Labeling

The Food and Drug Administration wants food manufacturers to adjust portion sizes to reflect the reality of the way America eats, as well as posting nutritional information on the front of all food packages. In combination with the more visible labeling, which would include calorie counts, the intended result is a greater public awareness of what people are really consuming. “If you put on a meaningful portion size, it would scare a lot of people,” said Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina. The standard serving size shown on a package determines all the other nutritional values on the label, and people usually eat much more than that amount. “If people don’t understand the serving, whatever number they get for fat or calories is misleading,” said William K. Hubbard, a former FDA official who consulted with the agency last year. Officials say the labeling will be voluntary, but the agency may set rules to prevent companies from highlighting the good things about their products while ignoring the bad, The New York Times reports.