At a time when more than half of the American diet comes from processed, packaged foods, the new FDA rules aim to help consumers make healthier choices in grocery stores. The updated 'healthy' definition includes certain amounts of food groups, alongside limits on added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats.
It's been three decades since the agency updated its standards on what qualifies as healthy. Previously, the focus was on limiting all types of fats. Now, there's a recognition of the benefits of healthy fats found in foods like nuts and fish.
'Science has changed,' explains Claudine Kavanaugh, director of FDA's office of nutrition and food labeling. 'The focus is more on reducing saturated fat, not total fats.' Products like salmon and eggs now qualify under the new definition, whereas they wouldn't have before.
Kavanaugh states, 'I think the healthy claim can be a real quick signal to help empower consumers.' The FDA aims to roll out a healthy icon to further assist consumers in identifying eligible products.
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