FDA changes definition of 'healthy foods,' excluding bread and some yogurt, and adding olive oil and salmon
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new definition of 'healthy food' on Thursday, December 19, 2024. The new definition recognizes several foods, such as olive oil, as part of a healthy diet, and excludes several foods from the list of healthy foods.
FDA Finalizes Updated “Healthy” Nutrient Content Claim | FDA
Use of the Term Healthy on Food Labeling | FDA
https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/use-term-healthy-food-labeling
The FDA has set the conditions for a food product to be labeled as 'healthy.' Until now, the FDA has required that the content of saturated fatty acids, sodium, total fat, and dietary cholesterol be below certain limits, and that the nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron, protein, and dietary fiber be above certain limits.
However, the current situation of Americans is dire, with 75% of Americans not eating enough vegetables, fruits, or dairy products, 63% consuming too much added sugar, 77% consuming too much saturated fat, and 90% consuming too much sodium. To improve this situation, the FDA decided to redefine healthy foods.
The new definition will include restrictions on saturated fatty acids, sodium, and added sugars. This change is in line with the US government's dietary guidelines, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans , and reflects the results of recent research that shows that it is important to limit saturated fatty acids and replace them with unsaturated fatty acids rather than restricting all fats. It is also important to limit added sugars.
In addition, the conditions regarding nutritional content have been abolished, and instead, the condition has been added that one or more of the FDA-recommended food groups, such as 'vegetables,' 'fruit,' 'dairy products,' 'protein-containing foods,' and 'whole grains,' must be included in a certain amount. According to the FDA, it is important to 'include meaningful amounts of recommended food groups containing various nutrients' rather than focusing only on individual nutrients. By focusing on food groups rather than individual nutrients, the overall nutrient content of foods can be improved, and eating a variety of foods can also help build healthy eating patterns.
The FDA lists as examples of healthy foods 'vegetables,' 'fruit,' 'whole grains,' 'fat-free or low-fat dairy products,' 'lean meat,' 'seafood,' 'eggs,' 'beans,' 'peas,' 'lentils,' etc. The definition has also been changed to include 'water,' 'avocados,' 'nuts,' 'seeds,' 'fatty fish such as salmon,' and 'olive oil.'
On the other hand, the following foods are excluded from the list of healthy foods: yogurt high in added sugars, breakfast cereals high in added sugars, fortified white bread that does not contain whole grains, fruit snacks high in added sugars, snack bars high in added sugars, and fruit juice drinks that are not 100% fruit juice.
The FDA is also working on creating an easy-to-understand symbol to indicate that a food is a 'healthy food.' The FDA states, 'Healthy eating habits, such as eating vegetables, fruits, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and obesity. If food manufacturers produce products that meet the definition of a healthy food, it will help build a healthy diet for the public.'
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