The FDA Is Revisiting Its Definition of ‘Healthy’ Food
It’s actually harder to define than most people think.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday that it is proposing changes to its definition of “healthy.” The FDA’s definition of healthy defines criteria for when foods can use the word on their packaging, and has been a hotly debated topic in the food world for years.
According to the FDA, the proposed changes “would align the definition of the ‘healthy’ claim with current nutrition science.” The FDA said in a news release that more than 80% of Americans aren’t eating enough fruits, vegetables, and dairy. At the same time, most people are having too much added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. The proposed changes, the FDA says, will try to help people improve their nutrition and dietary patterns “to help reduce the burden of chronic disease and advance health equity.”
“Healthy food can lower our risk for chronic disease,” said Xavier Becerra, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “But too many people may not know what constitutes healthy food. FDA’s move will help educate more Americans to improve health outcomes, tackle health disparities and save lives.”
