Food Labeling; Nutrient Content Claims, Definition of Sodium Levels for the Term “Healthy”

Riepilogo

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to amend the regulation for sodium levels for foods that use the nutrient content claim "healthy." The agency is proposing that a previously established, but not yet implemented, more restrictive, second-tier sodium level would be permitted to take effect as a criterion that individual foods must meet to qualify to bear the term "healthy." The agency is proposing to retain the current first-tier sodium level for meal and main dish products because implementing the second-tier sodium level could result in the substantial elimination of meal and main dish products bearing the claim "healthy" from the marketplace. After evaluating data from various sources, the agency believes that the proposed sodium levels will help consumers achieve a total diet that is consistent with current dietary recommendations, as the proposed levels will give consumers a reasonable number of "healthy" products from which to choose. The agency has also revised the regulatory text for the definition of "healthy" to clarify the scope of the regulation and conform to the Presidential Memorandum instructing Federal agencies to use plain language.