Beginning February 25, 2025, a new rule will give consumers more transparency into nutrition and major retailers such as Walmart and Target will have to recast how they position their products.
Updating the meaning of ‘Healthy’
New regulations outlined by the FDA have dictated that to be labeled “healthy,” a product would need to contain a meaningful amount of a food from at least one of the food groups or subgroups recommended by the Dietary Guidelines-for example, fruits, vegetables, or dairy-along with not exceeding the limits for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, dependent upon category.
For example; now for a cereal to be labeled “healthy,” it must contain some amount of whole grains besides not exceeding the limit for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. This is the latest nutrition science aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Retail giants to take a blow
The new FDA guidelines on what constitutes a “healthy” food will force retailers such as Walmart and Target to reconsider product offerings and labeling strategies. Products that proudly wore the “healthy” label will no longer qualify for the designation and, therefore, will have to be re-packaged and remarketed. The transition will be a bit confusing for shoppers as products they are accustomed to seeing are either rebranded or reformulated.
Foods gaining and losing ‘Healthy’ status
Foods that are qualified for wearing the “healthy” label include:
- Nuts and seeds
- Salmon and other high-fat fish
- Eggs
- Avocados
- Olive oil
- Water
While foods that would no longer be qualified will include:
- Fortified white bread
- Highly sweetened yogurts
- Sugary cereals
The change is intended to prod consumers toward healthier options-away from products containing added sugars and refined grains.
Voluntary compliance and timeline
Although the use of the term remains voluntary, manufacturers will have to hew to the new requirements to make the claim. The rule is set to go into effect on Feb. 25, 2025, though companies have until 2028 to reformulate their products to meet the new definition. According to the agency, it “will start enforcing the final rule after that date.”
Creating a ‘Healthy’ symbol
To further help consumers make healthy choices, the FDA added it was considering developing a standardized symbol that could adorn packaging to denote products that meet the “healthy” criteria. In fact, such a symbol would give shoppers quick, visual cues to make life easier on shoppers.
FDA’s full statement
The FDA shared the following statement with The US Sun:
“‘Healthy’ is a voluntary claim that manufacturers can choose to use on their products,” an FDA spokesperson said.
“They can use the updated criteria for the ‘healthy’ claim starting on the effective date of the rule, which is 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.
“Manufacturers that voluntarily use the nutrient content claim ‘healthy’ are not required to follow the updated criteria until the compliance date, which is 3 years after publication of the final rule.”
Public health implications
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf was quoted as saying, “Improving access to nutrition information is an important public health effort the FDA can undertake to help people build healthy eating patterns.” This is all part of a much greater game plan in how diet-related chronic diseases, running amok in America, are fought.
Retail response and consumer adaptation
Makers and retailers will work side by side to reformulate products or re-label existing ones in preparation for the effective date of the rule ahead of the new definition of “healthy.” Because these are updated standards, changes to the formulation, packaging, and the way the products are marketed will be seen by consumers. The new labels will require a bit of educational effort to make them understandable for shoppers in order for them to make use of the labels for their informed choice.
