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Nutrition food labels to get new look in 2017

Posted at 8:27 AM, Jun 13, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-13 08:50:22-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich-- The FDA has recently come out with a new nutrition food label. The change comes after consumers said the label should be more "user-friendly."

Two things nutritionists are hoping to accomplish with this new label are to make it more simple and visual.
When looking at the new 2016 food label, right away two things catch the eye, serving size and calorie count. Both have larger and bolder fonts.

You'll also find a new 'added sugars' row and that sugars are no longer only measured in grams. Now, there's a percentage.

“We can’t tell someone what to eat, but we can give them all the information and tools to make a choice that hopefully is more important to their health than just grabbing something without any idea with what they’re having," said registered dietician nutritionist, Wendy Brookhouse with the Grand Valley Health Plan.

Breaking down the sugar intake even more, you'll find two lines comparing natural sugars to sugar that's added by hand.

"Hopefully the new label will help people see side-by-side comparisons of, 'this is how much I’m having', versus, 'having it all in the same font-size and having it all blended together and not making much sense,” Brookhouse said. “So how much of that extra 10 grams of sugar is natural sugar and how much is added from simple sugars, and that is what’s really confusing for consumers, and the new label is going to break down that sugar amount.”

Nutrition LablesBrookhouse is hoping the new label will change the way people shop and eat.

“It helps us to be able to shop, and then to also when you’re in the kitchen, to grab certain items and know exactly what you’re getting.”

Brookhouse tells FOX 17 the new label could debut as early as this year, but that it will definitely be here by 2017.

"With the old label, there was just so much information, and we wanted something to pop," Brookhouse said.