Any of you who sell products in other countries know that food and beverage labels can look very different from country to country. But one thing has been popping up on food labels globally, including here in the United States—front-of-pack nutrition labeling. While Sweden’s keyhole symbol has been in place for many years, Australia and the United Kingdom have both recently adopted voluntary programs.
Australia
Australia recently approved a new
front-of-pack labeling system, which will rate the nutritional value of foods and beverages, with up to five stars and icons regarding calories, saturated fat, sodium, sugar and one positive nutrient. This will be a voluntary system, but if after two years the government feels that not enough foods are displaying the symbol, the program could be made mandatory.
The criteria for front-of-pack labeling for dairy products is not finalized following concerns that the emphasis on saturated fat content can make yogurt and cheese look less healthy and could discourage people from choosing these dairy foods.
United Kingdom
This summer, the United Kingdom, including Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, has finalized a voluntary
front-of-pack nutrition labeling icon, which is a hybrid of traffic light symbols and quantitative values for certain nutrients. The symbol declares the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt per serving, and also colors each of these nutrients with red, amber or green based on the level of these nutrients in the food.
Sweden/Denmark/Norway
The
keyhole symbol has been used in Sweden since 1989 to identify healthier options. The voluntary symbol is used only on foods that meet certain nutritional criteria.
Thailand
Thailand’s front-of-pack labeling system declares the content and Daily Values for calories, sugar, fat and sodium. The icon is required to appear on four categories of snack foods: chips; popcorn; extruded snacks, crackers or biscuits; and filling wafers.
United States
In the United States, there are no federal regulations specifically regarding front-of-pack labels, but the
Food and Drug Administration has released guidance reminding companies that any form of front-of-pack labeling must comply with labeling regulations, including the definitions and requirements for nutrient content claims.
There are a number of front-of-pack programs from food manufacturers, but many of these manufacturers have joined the
Facts Up Front initiative, led by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute. The Facts Up Front icon shows the amount of calories, saturated fat, sodium and total sugars per serving of a food or beverage, along with up to two beneficial nutrients. This symbol is voluntary, but it has been reviewed by FDA, which has granted some
enforcement discretion.
Should front-of-pack nutrition icons be used to help consumers identify healthier choices? What should those icons include?