FDA Delays Labeling of ‘Healthy’ Foods

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delayed the effective date for its final labeling of what foods can be labeled “healthy” to April 28, 2025.

The delayed date is in line with President Trump’s “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review” memorandum. This memo orders agencies to consider postponing rules’ effective dates for 60 days (Apr. 28, 2025), to review any questions of fact, law, and policy that may arise.

According to the memo, “During this 60-day period, where appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider opening a comment period to allow interested parties to provide comments about issues of fact, law, and policy raised by the rules postponed under this memorandum, and consider reevaluating pending petitions involving such rules. As appropriate and consistent with applicable law, and where necessary to continue to review these questions of fact, law, and policy, consider further delaying, or publishing for notice and comment, proposed rules further delaying such rules beyond the 60-day period.”

Per The Federal Register, this rule requires the establishment and maintenance of certain records for foods bearing a claim of being “healthy” when it is not apparent from the label of the food. The term “healthy” can be used as an implied nutrient content claim in the labeling of human food products to help consumers identify foods that can serve as the foundation of a nutritious diet that is consistent with current dietary recommendations.

It also requires that “food products, mixed products, main dishes, and meals must meet FGEs and specific limits for added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium based on a percentage of the Daily Value for these nutrients.”

The FDA did not specify what aspects of food labeling they would look at during this delayed period.

What Foods Are Considered ‘Healthy’ According to the FDA?

The Federal Register revealed that around 5% of all packaged foods in the current marketplace are labeled as “healthy.” Foods that could previously carry the healthy label — such as white bread and heavily sweetened cereal and yogurt — will reportedly no longer qualify as such. However, some nuts, seeds, salmon, olive oil, peanut butter, and canned fruits and vegetables are among those that may qualify.

CNN reported that last month that “the FDA is also working on a symbol that can be put on packages to help consumers more easily identify foods that are considered healthy, and it’s developing a plan for nutrition labeling that would go on the front of food packaging to complement the more in-depth labels on the back.”

The FDA requires the definition of “healthy” to be foods that contain a certain amount of a food group like fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, or dairy. Also, food can’t contain too much saturated fat, sodium, or added sugars.