The FDA issued draft guidance Friday that provides food manufacturers with recommendations on how and when to use Dietary Guidance Statements on labels of food products. This guidance is part of a goal to reduce the burden of chronic disease and advance health equity through improved nutrition.
“Diet-related chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. and disproportionally impact communities of color and people living in rural areas,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D., in a statement. “The FDA is committed to being a part of the solution to improve the health of millions of Americans. Today’s action is another step towards helping consumers make informed choices about the foods they eat.”
Dietary Guidance Statements are statements in food labeling that are based on key recommendations from consensus reports, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. An example of one such statement is as follows: “Make half your grains whole grain”. The statements may include symbols or pictures that convey to consumers that a food or a food group may contribute to a nutritious dietary pattern.
The recommendations in the draft guidance can facilitate consistency in the use of such statements and consumer understanding as well as accompany industry innovation toward healthier foods.
On Friday, the FDA also proposed changes to the standards of identity for foods that include salt to permit the use of safe salt substitutes. The rule would help provide flexibility to facilitate food innovation when making foods that feature reduced sodium content.
“Most people in the U.S. consume too much sodium. The majority of sodium consumed comes from processed, packaged, and prepared foods, not from salt people add to their food when cooking or eating,” said Susan Mayne, Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, in a statement. “This effort, combined with the FDA’s voluntary sodium reduction targets, is part of the agency’s overall nutrition strategy to create a healthier food supply, provide consumers with information to choose healthier foods, and improve the health and wellness of our nation.”
The proposed rule, called “Use of Salt Substitutes to Reduce the Sodium Content in Standardized Foods,” defines salt alternatives as safe and suitable ingredients used to replace some or all the salt in a standardized food.
The draft guidance and proposed changes are also part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, which provides a roadmap of actions the federal government will take to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030 while reducing disparities.
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