Health Experts Back “Added Sugar” Labeling
The Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists
has submitted a comment backed by more than 280 health experts asking
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include a percent daily value
for the proposed “added sugars” declaration on food and beverage labeling.
Responding to the agency’s request for comments on proposed changes to
the nutrition and supplement facts labels, the letter signed by Robert Lustig,
Marion Nestle and members of the Healthy Food Action network urges FDA
to set a maximum daily value for added sugars at 50 grams—approximately
10 percent of recommended daily calorie intake—and to list a percent daily
value on the Nutrition Facts label.
“Many food and beverage manufacturers add excessive amounts of sugar to
their products, including those that they market as healthy options. In our
current food environment, many people are unknowingly and unavoidably
consuming excess sugar,” opines the letter. “Given our soaring rates of chronic
diseases and the link between sugar and these diseases, citizens have a right
to know how much sugar has been added to their foods.”
Noting that most percent daily values focus on minimum recommended
intakes, the letter cites a similar approach used in the United Kingdom to
indicate maximum sodium levels on nutrition labels. Additional details about
the proposed changes appear in Issue 515 of this Update.
Issue 532
