FDA kicks off campaign spotlighting new Nutrition Facts label
The Food and Drug Administration is rolling out a national education campaign to highlight the newly redesigned Nutrition Facts label.
The campaign and its tagline, “What’s In It For You?” are designed to reach the public and focus on consumers at increased risk for such diseases related to nutrition as obesity. It features food products portrayed by actors modeling their looks on a runway after getting a makeover.
"This campaign highlights that the new Nutrition Facts label has been designed to assist consumers in making better-informed food choices," said Susan Mayne, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "If a consumer wants to know how many calories there are in a serving, that information is now highlighted. If a consumer wants to choose a food with more vitamin D or less added sugars, that information is now right there on the label."
The label, which was finalized in May 2016, was not required to be used by most manufacturers with more than $10 million in annual food sales until January. Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales have until January 2021 to start using it, though many have already made the switch.
The new label features bolded listings for serving sizes and calorie counts, and includes required listings for added sugars, vitamin D and potassium, as well as a dual-column version for packages that contain 2-3 servings that can reasonably be consumed in one sitting. One column lists nutritional facts for a single serving and the second lists nutritional facts for the full package.
As part of the campaign, the FDA also has shared a Social Media Toolkit with resources for companies to share with consumers on their channels and accounts.