Dive Brief:
- The FDA is receiving support for its proposed added sugars label for processed foods from Action for Healthy Food, a 501(c)(4) backed by Houston billionaire philanthropists Laura and John Arnold, according to Politico's Morning Agriculture.
- "In a comment submitted to an FDA docket this week, the Seattle-based group, which formed late last year, says it’s in favor of the FDA’s plan to not only require a label for added sugars but also list a totally new Daily Value percentage based on a cap of no more than 10 percent of calories coming from added sugars. The group adds that a lower recommendation might be appropriate, though," Politico reported.
- FDA's proposal has pleased health experts while frustrating some food companies with products that contain a large amount of added sugars.
Dive Insight:
Consumers are cutting back on their sugar intake, as evidenced by the decline of sugary soft drinks, and a percent daily value label for added sugars could be a turn for the worse, some companies feel. Others, like Mars, believe transparency is good for consumers and the industry.
Laura and John Arnold were also the billionaire philanthropists behind the Nutrition Coalition, which has advocated for "stronger science" to be used when deciding the upcoming 2015 Dietary Guidelines.