The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed new front-of-package nutrition labels to help consumers make healthier choices. The labels would highlight information on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar, categorizing them as low, medium, or high in value for each food item. The full Nutrition Facts label will remain on food packages.

Kansas State University food scientist Karen Blakeslee explained that the goal is to make it easier for consumers to make informed decisions, especially for those with specific health conditions. Blakeslee noted that the current Nutrition Facts labels can be difficult to understand, and the new front-of-package labels would offer clearer nutritional information.

This type of labeling is already used in other countries, including Canada and Mexico. The FDA’s proposal is currently open for public comment. More details are available on the FDA website, and K-State offers additional resources through their Rapid Response Center for Food Science.