FDA Proposes Daily Value for Added Sugars in Food

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to  revise certain provisions of a March 2014 proposal that would amend the labeling regulations for conventional foods and dietary supplements to provide updated nutrition information on the Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels in an effort to assist consumers in maintaining healthy dietary practices.

Specifically, the FDA is proposing (i) text for the footnotes to be used on the Nutrition Facts label; (ii) a daily reference value of 10 percent of total energy intake from added sugars; (iii) the declaration of the percent daily value for added sugars to be on the label; and (iv) additional rationale for the declaration of added sugars on the label.

The FDA notes that the percent daily value indicates how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet, helping consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families. The daily reference value under consideration for added sugars would be based on the recommendation that the daily intake of calories from added sugars not exceed 10 percent of total calories.

The FDA is taking this action based in part on the science underlying a new report released by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee that showed that it is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie requirements if one exceeds 10 percent of total calories from added sugars. The DGAC also recommended that Americans limit their added sugars intake to less than 10 percent of total calories.

Interested parties may submit comments on the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking by Oct. 12. Input may also be submitted by Sept. 25 on two consumer studies pertaining to proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts label formats that the FDA intends to add to the administrative record.
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