Here are four things to know about the change.
1. The agency is still operating under a definition set in the 90s, when fat content was of chief concern among health professionals, and sugar wasn’t even on the radar, according to The Wall Street Journal. Under this definition, food has to meet standards for fat content, saturated fat content, sodium, cholesterol and beneficial nutrients. This means products like Kellogg’s Pop Tarts or a fat-free pudding can be considered healthy, but foods like nuts, avocado and salmon didn’t make the cut, according to the report.
2. Now that nutrition research has advanced and we know both healthy and unhealthy fats exist, the FDA has started to receive pushback on its definitions from food manufacturers. For example, fruit and nut bar maker Kind was sent a warning letter by the FDA last year prohibiting it from using the word “healthy” on its packaging. The company campaigned against that demand and the FDA lifted its order last month, according to the report.
3. Results of food industry’s pushback include a ban issued last year of partially-hydrogenated oils or trans fats, and a soon-to-be-released definition of the word “natural,” according to the report.
4. The FDA is now reviewing its definition of “healthy,” but an update is still far off. Due to the slow regulatory process — that includes multiple proposals and comment periods — the new “healthy” is still years away, according to the report.
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