Food labeling needs overhaul to help reduce obesity

Accurate health information on food labels not only encourages consumers to select healthier foods, but also spurs innovation among food marketers in healthier products, it added in its comments filed with the US Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA is seeking public opinon on changes to food labeling designed to curb the rising rates of obesity.

FTC, which monitors food advertising for misleading information, also said that FDA should consider changing label information to make it easier for consumers to compare the amount of calories in different foods so they can better identify those lower in calories.

It aded that currently used serving sizes may significantly understate the amount of particular foods and calories that people typically consume and should therefore be reviewed. The presentation of serving size information on the label also needs to be made 'sufficiently clear and prominent'.

And in what would pose a significant overhaul to labeling rules, the agency also asked FDA to consider allowing 'truthful, non-misleading comparative claims' relating to calories or comparing the calories of foods in different product categories. Such claims could help consumers choose lower-calorie products, eat smaller portions, or substitute one type of food for another, it said.

However this would require major changes to food labels, including wiping out the requirement that a food must have 25 per cent fewer calories than a reference food before a food marketer can claim on the label that it is 'reduced calorie' or has 'fewer' calories.

It would also require lawmakers to remove the prohibition on claims on food labels comparing the calories in foods of different portion sizes and eliminate the ban on claims on the food label comparing calories of different product types. FDA would further need to ecrease the burden of disclosures that have to accompany comparative claims on food labels.

FTC​ added that despite the strength of scientific evidence supporting the link between excess calorie consumption and obesity and related diseases, the FDA has not approved a health claim to permit food marketers to explain this relationship on food labels.

"We encourage the FDA to consider the possible changes discussed [in this comment] to help consumers identify healthier, lower calorie food and to encourage food companies to develop and market more of these foods. We also suggest thatthe FDA create, solicit, and analyze consumer research as part of its evaluation of the costs and benefits of any changes to the current food label,"​ said the organisation.