FDA’s updated definition of “healthy” aligns food labels with nutrition guidelines

Today, the White House released the Food and Drug Administration’s final rule updating the definition of “healthy” for claims on packaged foods. This is the first overhaul of FDA’s definition of “healthy” since 1994. The rule is a substantial improvement from the status quo. Companies will no longer be allowed to market foods loaded with added sugars as “healthy.” Water and foods high in healthy fats like nuts, seeds, salmon, and olive oil will no longer be unfairly excluded from being labeled “healthy.” And “healthy” foods will need to provide servings of fruits, vegetables, protein, low-fat or fat-free dairy, or whole grains, rather than qualifying as “healthy” based on the use of added micronutrients. 

We applaud the FDA’s work to set guardrails that will prevent companies from making misleading marketing claims using the word “healthy.” But the need for food labeling reform is far from over. We expect the “healthy” rule will have a limited impact because it only applies to those few products bearing the voluntary “healthy” claim. The most important step that the Biden Administration can take to leverage food labels for public health is to publish the FDA’s proposed rule on mandatory front-of-package nutrition labeling. Other countries, including Canada and much of Latin America, already require transparent labels that prominently highlight when foods are high in sodium, added sugars, and saturated fat. Our diet-related chronic disease epidemic is fueled by excess consumption of junk foods, rather than insufficient marketing of healthy foods. By moving forward to require front-of-package labeling in addition to this final rule defining “healthy,” FDA can effectively address both.