A group of the largest food companies are unveiling a common, easy-to-read nutrition label moved to the front of packaging. It has a prominent green checkmark next to the words "Smart Choices Program" identifying a product as meeting science-based nutrition criteria derived from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The label, unveiled at the American Dietetic Association conference in Chicago, is the culmination of nearly two years' work by food suppliers, nutritionists, government agencies and retailers.
The logo lists the number of servings and calories per serving for each product. Foods bearing the logo must meet certain standards for limited fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium based on the Food Guide Pyramid. Most products must have positive attributes as well, such as including calcium, potassium, vitamins and fiber, or encouraging people to eat from major food groups such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
The voluntary industry standard was developed to aid consumers in making informed shopping purchases. It comes after complaints that the Federally-mandated "nutrition facts box" on the backside of almost every food product is too complicated, too hidden, and written in too small print.
Companies that adopt Smart Choices must rid themselves of proprietary labels denoting "better-for-you products that have drawn fire for only adding to the confusion.
"We believe that a single, credible system that is recognizable and uniform across categories will benefit consumers," said Susan Crockett, RD, vice president of General Mills' Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, and a member of the Smart Choices Plenary, in a statement. "The new Smart Choices initiative harmonizes and unifies various competing approaches, reducing potential confusion and making it easier for consumers to identify healthy food choices and compare calorie and serving information at-a-glance."
Michael Jacobson, head of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food-labeling watchdog, told the Chicago Tribune, that Smart Choices clearly marks an improvement over the hodgepodge of healthy-for-you labels in the market. But his group was looking for a label that also spelled out what foods are unhealthy for consumers as well. He called it a program food makers "can live with," suggesting that it represents a way for the food industry to get ahead of any government regulation that might be stricter but would take longer to implement.
Eileen Kennedy, a nutritionist and member of the group that put together Smart Choices, told the Chicago Tribune that consumers want a solution to the labeling confusion, and research indicates they will be satisfied with a program pointing to just healthy foods.
"We, as scientists, may think you need to know good foods and bad foods, but consumers just want to know what's healthy for them," said Ms. Kennedy, dean of Tufts University's School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Discussion Question: What do you think of the "Smart Choices Program" labeling system? Is it too simple? Do you think it should have done more to identify what foods are unhealthy for consumers as well as those that are healthy?
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