The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a final rule for significant updates to the definition of “healthy” for food labeling on Dec. 19, marking the first major revision since 1994.
The new rule, which aligns with modern nutrition science and dietary guidelines, is designed to empower consumers to make more informed food choices and potentially reduce the prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases in the United States, according to the agency.
Under the updated criteria, foods labeled as healthy must contain a certain amount from at least one of the food groups or subgroups recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Additionally, these products must adhere to specific limits on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
“It’s critical for the future of our country that food be a vehicle for wellness,” FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said in a statement. “Improving access to nutrition information is an important public health effort the FDA can undertake to help people build healthy eating patterns. It is vital that we focus on the key drivers to combat chronic disease, like healthy eating. Now, people will be able to look for the ‘healthy’ claim to help them find foundational, nutritious foods for themselves and their families.”
The new definition—which was first proposed in 2022—allows for a broader range of foods to qualify for the “healthy” label, the FDA said, including nuts, seeds, higher-fat fish like salmon, olive oil, and water. Conversely, some foods that had previously qualified may no longer be eligible, such as certain sweetened yogurts, sugary cereals, and white bread.
The change comes as part of a larger government initiative to address the growing crisis of preventable, diet-related chronic diseases in the United States, the agency said.
According to FDA data, 77 percent of Americans exceed current dietary recommendations for saturated fat, 79 percent have dietary patterns low in dairy, fruits, and vegetables, and 63 percent exceed recommendations for added sugars. The agency says 90 percent of Americans exceed recommended sodium intake daily.
The updated “healthy” claim is voluntary for manufacturers, who will have three years to comply with the new criteria.
The FDA is also exploring the development of a standardized symbol that manufacturers could use to indicate a product meets the “healthy” criteria, which could become helpful for consumers less familiar with nutrition information.
Consumer advocacy groups have largely welcomed the change.
“We expect the ‘healthy’ rule will have a limited impact because it only applies to those few products bearing the voluntary ‘healthy’ claim,” she said. “The most important step that the Biden Administration can take to leverage food labels for public health is to publish the FDA’s proposed rule on mandatory front-of-package nutrition labeling. Other countries, including Canada and much of Latin America, already require transparent labels that prominently highlight when foods are high in sodium, added sugars, and saturated fat.”
Some industry groups have expressed concerns. The Consumer Brands Association, a food industry trade group, stated that the new rule “stands to exclude some packaged foods, despite countless years of industry innovation to provide healthier options.”
A representative of the group said that it is concerned that the new rule “is not based on clear and unambiguous scientific evidence” and doesn’t fully consider potential economic impacts on consumers.
