Food and Health Communications

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Nutrition News: Redefining "Healthy"

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced that it is beginning the official process of redefining what "healthy" can mean when used on a food label.The director of the FDA's Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling, Douglas Balentine, asserts, "As our understanding about nutrition has evolved, we need to make sure the definition for the 'healthy' labeling claim stays up to date."SF Gate, one of the news sites that broke the story, explains some of the rationale behind this decision, maintaining, "In recent years, our understanding of health has evolved away from the low-fat diets trends of the '80s and '90s, thanks to the rise of "good fats" and research linking sugar to weight gain and other health issues. Instead of fat being seen as public enemy No. 1, artificial ingredients are now more likely to be demonized."What do you think should go into the FDA's new definition of "healthy," as it can be applied to food labels?For more food label fun, don't miss this wonderful label-reading handout!nutrition-facts-panel-updateAnd here are even more label resource from the Nutrition Education Store![shopify embed_type="product" shop="nutrition-education-store.myshopify.com" product_handle="food-label-math-poster" show="all"][shopify embed_type="product" shop="nutrition-education-store.myshopify.com" product_handle="new-food-label-floor-sticker-floor-decal" show="all"][shopify embed_type="product" shop="nutrition-education-store.myshopify.com" product_handle="new-food-label-stickers-2-pack-of-100" show="all"]