WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The long-overdue changes to the Nutrition Facts label announced today by First Lady Michelle Obama would improve Americans’ diets and promote healthier eating, Environmental Working Group said in a statement.
“No one has done more to promote healthier diets than First Lady Obama,” said Scott Faber, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for EWG. "Today’s announcement is just the latest achievement in her unmatched record of promoting safer, more nutritious, more accessible and more transparent food.”
The White House proposal would be the first major update of nutrition labels on U.S. foods in 20 years. Under the new rules, information on serving size will be made easier to understand, and there will be an added emphasis on both calories and added sugar.
“Updating the Nutrition Facts label to make calories more prominent and to disclose added sugars will encourage consumers to make smarter decisions about their food and their health,” said Faber.
Since 2009, Congress and the Obama administration have enacted sweeping new food safety laws, set new standards for food sold in schools and expanded access to healthy food in “food deserts.”
“There is much more work to be done to help consumers build healthier diets,” said Faber. “But today’s announcement is an historic step toward improving the food system in a way that Americans have been demanding for a long time.”
