FDA Issues Notice on Study of Consumer Responses to Nutrition Labels

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice about a collection
of information titled “Experimental Study on Consumer Responses to
Nutrition Facts Labels with Various Footnote Formats and Declaration of
Amount of Added Sugars” that the agency has submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget for review. FDA reported that it plans to use the
information to promote public health and explore consumer responses to
various food label formats for the footnote section of the Nutrition Facts
label, including “those that exhibit information such as a description of
percent Daily Value, a succinct statement about daily caloric intake, a general
guideline for interpreting percent Daily Values, or a footnote about nutrients
whose daily intake should be limited.” This study will also reportedly explore
“how declaring the added sugars content of foods might affect consumers’
attention to and understanding of the sugars and calorie contents and other
information on the Nutrition Facts label.” FDA will accept comments on the
information until July 1, 2013. See Federal Register, May 30, 2013.