CCC’s Monthly Digest serves to inform its members of developments from the previous month concerning topics of interest to the Council. Below are highlights which cover past, current, and on-going regulatory updates, industry & consumer issues. Due to the holidays, please note the below monthly digest is an extended edition, and reflects updates from the last week of November through December 31.
US Policy and Regulatory Updates
• American Statistical Association Requests Congressional Demand for USDA Plan for Research Service
• Sugar Association Says FDA Should Rethink Plans for Nutrition Facts Panel Education Campaign
• Economist Intelligence Unit Publishes Annual Food Sustainability Index
• USDA Eases Requirements for Sodium Reduction and Whole Grain Consumption in Schools
• USDA Highlights Accomplishments from 2018
• Uncertainties Persist in U.S.-China Trade War
• Congress Passes $867 Billion Farm Bill
• FDA Issues Uniform Compliance Date, Technical Amendments on Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labeling Rules
• USDA Bioengineered Food Label Rules Draw Criticism
International Policy and Regulatory Updates
• India Bans ‘Frivolous’ Terms on Labels of Processed Foods
• UK Sugar Tax Raises 197 Million USD
• Brazil Signs Deal to Reduce Sugar Levels in Industrialized Foods
• EFSA Adopts Proposals to Improve Efficiency and Transparency
• EFSA Launches Interactive Tool on Dietary Reference Values
• European Commission to Release Report on FOP Labelling and Considers Single System
• GMO label to become more visible in EAEU
• Pakistan Launches Dietary Guidelines
• Sri Lanka Cuts Sugar Tax Levy by 40%
• Debate Continues Over How to Address Australia’s Obesity Crisis
Publication Updates
• Survey Published Revealing Growing Distrust of GMO Safety
• 2018 Global Nutrition Report Published
• WHO Publishes Report on Evaluating the Implementation of Recommendations on Marketing to Children
• Consumer Research Shows UK Consumers are “Getting Fatter but More Healthy”
• New Ipsos Report Finds 70% of Americans Are Concerned About Sugar
• Review Finds Food Labels Have Led to Changes in Intake of Select Nutrients and Additives
• Diet Trends for 2019
Council Updates
• CCC Submits Comments on Nigeria’s Non-Nutritive Sweeteners in Food Products Regulations 2018
• CCC Submits Comments on Draft Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research
• Communications
American Statistical Association Requests Congressional Demand for USDA Plan for Research Service
On November 25, Food Safety News published an article reporting that the American Statistical Association (ASA) examined responses to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposal and rationale to reorganize its Economic Research Service (ERS). The plan is to move the ERS, currently under USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics mission area to realign with the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) under the Office of the Secretary. Additionally, most employees of ERS and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) would be relocated outside of the Washington, D.C. region. The USDA’s three main reasons for the relocation are: (1) “to improve USDA’s ability to attract and retain highly qualified staff,” (2) “to place these important USDA resources closer to many of its stakeholders,” and (3) “to benefit the American taxpayers.”
However, the USDA has failed to share findings from its purported internal cost-benefit analysis, and, at the same time, many organizations and former USDA officials have warned that the reorganization plan jeopardizes the quality of the ERS’s work, and threatens to negatively impact food, agriculture and rural economies. ASA’s president, Lisa LaVange, urged, “For the sake of good government and transparency, Congress should put a stop to USDA’s plans until we know more…”
Sugar Association Says FDA Should Rethink Plans for Nutrition Facts Panel Education Campaign
In an article published November 30 in Food Chemical News (subscription required), the Sugar Association expressed its concerns for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Nutrition Facts label (NFL) consumer education campaign. The campaign is intended to help shoppers understand the new NFL, which will start rolling out on January 1, 2020, as they look to make more healthful food choices. FDA has set aside $3 million for this campaign, which will include educational videos, social media campaigns and consumer-friendly websites. Although FDA has not yet disclosed a launch date or confirmed details for the campaign, the Agency suggested at a public meeting in July that it plans to prioritize the following topics: Calories, Serving Size, Percent Daily Value (%DV), and Added Sugars, including in the context of the entire label (and the importance of reading the entire label generally).
The Sugar Association wants to ensure that the final campaign does not lead consumers to single out added sugars as the one ingredient that could cause harm and should be avoided. The group’s concerns were raised shortly after the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a new policy encouraging FDA to develop front-of-package (FOP) warning labels for foods that are high in added sugars based on the established recommended daily value. The AMA also asked FDA to limit the amount of added sugars allowed in food marketed with the FOP or nutrient content claims.
The Sugar Association’s president and CEO, Courtney Gaine, stated the association’s major concern is that “a lot of people, including health professionals, believe that above 10 percent causes an adverse health outcome.” Therefore, the association suggests that, “the education campaign should also offer more explanation to the public on how FDA arrived at setting the daily value for added sugar, and clarify that it is not a limit, which will lead to negative health effects.” Gaines argues that with added sugars being placed on the NFL, FDA should do more consumer research and ensure that consumers will be able to read the labels correctly when they hit the market.
Economist Intelligence Unit Publishes Annual Food Sustainability Index
The Economist published its annual Food Sustainability Index, which ranks countries based on a weighted average total score for three categories: food loss and waste, sustainable agriculture, and nutritional challenges. Countries that score higher indicate a positive path towards a sustainable food and nutrition system. While France received the highest overall ranking, the U.S. came in 26th out of 67 countries, indicating that the U.S. has far to go in terms of sustainability and nutrition. Out of 35 high-income countries, the U.S. ranked 22nd. The Economist’s senior global director of public policy clarified that, “Wealth alone doesn’t push you to the top of the index.” For example, Rwanda ranked 12th overall because, although the country still has serious problems with malnutrition, it has made significant strides in updating its nutrition policies.
USDA Eases Requirements for Sodium Reduction and Whole Grain Consumption in Schools
On December 6, USDA published a press release announcing that the final rule, titled Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements, offers schools new options as they serve meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and other federal child nutrition programs. The main changes signified by the final rule are outlined below:
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue defended the increased flexibility of the rule by stating, “If kids are not eating what is being served, they are not benefiting, and food is being wasted.” However, some groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) see the final rule as an example of putting politics before children’s health, and believes it will secure the allowance of dangerously high levels of salt, and bring back more refined white flour to school meals.
Uncertainties Persist in U.S.-China Trade War
As reported in a December 10 article in Food Navigator, uncertainty around the U.S.-China trade war and the negotiated trade deal with Canada and Mexico are taking a toll on U.S. food and agricultural industries, and making strategic planning more complex. However, Rabobank, a global leader in food and agriculture financing and sustainability-oriented banking, believe there is hope for the future if companies diversify and reposition their products. Pablo Sherwell, head of RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness, North America explained that as long as the new tariffs remain in place in Mexico and China in response to U.S. actions, “sizable market opportunities for US exports could be lost and competitors, such as Brazil, Canada and potentially Mexico, could gain market share.” Although the article states that specific food sectors such as the dairy and animal protein industries are of higher concern over other food or beverage categories.
Congress Passes $867 Billion Farm Bill
A December 12 article in the Washington Post summarizes the $867 billion farm bill Congress voted for with strong bipartisan support. The bill allocates billions of dollars in subsidies to American farmers, legalizes hemp, bolsters farmers markets and rejects stricter limits on food stamps pushed by House Republicans.
The most controversial element of the Farm Bill has been the different House and Senate approaches to SNAP, also known as food stamps.The House Republican version of the bill would have forced states to impose work requirements for food stamps on older workers, those aged 49 to 59, as well as parents with children ages 6 to 12. The final version of the bill did not make such strict changes, and the changes that were made will not restrict families’ food stamp benefits, according to congressional aides.
FDA Issues Uniform Compliance Date, Technical Amendments on Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labeling Rules
On December 19, FDA announced that January 1, 2022, will be the uniform compliance date for final food labeling regulations that are issued in calendar years 2019 and 2020 (link to Federal Register notice here). This action does not change existing requirements for compliance dates contained in final rules published before January 1, 2019. Since 1996, the agency has periodically announced uniform compliance dates for new food labeling requirements to minimize the economic impact on the food industry of having to respond separately to each change.
On December 21, FDA also issued a final rule that provides technical amendments to the two regulations concerning Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labeling that were published May 27, 2016. Among the revisions made, the amendments correct errors made in some sample label illustrations, restore several inadvertent deletions, correct citations to three cross-references, and remove a sentence regarding the font size and bolding requirement for the “Calories” declaration in dietary supplement labels. Other minor revisions, including spelling errors, are being corrected through the technical amendments. Note, the final rule on technical amendments does not change the compliance dates for the final rules on the Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels.
USDA Bioengineered Food Label Rules Draw Criticism
As you are aware, on December 20, the USDA released its final rule to implement the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS). The final rule was announced through a USDA press release and was published in the Federal Register (FR) on December 21 (see attached December 21 email from staff for additional information). A December 26 article published by Capital Press notes that while farm groups are pleased with USDA’s new disclosure standard for bioengineered foods, some advocacy groups argue that the standard is deceptive and doesn’t go far enough to inform consumers. Wenonah Hauter, director of Food & Water Watch, has stated, “The use of ‘bioengineered,’ rather than GMOs, is a deceptive strategy because consumers don’t know what that means. In addition, the use of digital codes and other technology makes GMO disclosure more difficult for consumers, and the definitions of what triggers labeling are far too limited.” The Environmental Working Group believes the disclosure rule fails to meet the intent of Congress to create a mandatory disclosure standard that includes all genetically engineered foods and to use terms consumers understand.
India Bans ‘Frivolous’ Terms on Labels of Processed Foods
On November 28, Food Navigator Asia published an article reporting that the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is set to roll out its latest food advertising regulations, which will ban ‘frivolous’ terms such as ‘natural’, ‘fresh’, ‘traditional’, ‘premium’, ‘best’, etc., on the labels of processed foods unless they meet certain standards. Food companies will only be able to make such nutritional, health and/or quality-related claims “based on available scientific information and international best practices”. The only exception to the rule is that the products can be labeled as ‘fresh’ so long as they are not processed in any manner except washed, peeled, chilled, trimmed or put through other processing stages that could alter its basic characteristics. It is predicted the new regulations will be notified shortly. CCC did not submit comments on these regulations, but staff is monitoring for updates.
UK Sugar Tax Raises 197 Million USD
According to a November 23 article on BeverageDaily.com, the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) implemented in the UK last April, which is predicted to raise $308 million in its first year, has raised $197 million in its first seven months. Over 90 percent of the revenue from the tax, which charges a lower rate for beverages containing 5 grams of added sugar per 100 ml or more and a higher rate for those with 8 grams of added sugar or more, has come from businesses paying the higher rate.
The article reports that the UK has one of the highest obesity rates among developed countries, and that the government points at soft drinks as the biggest source of sugar in children’s diets. Revenue collected from the levy are being used to fund physical education and breakfast clubs in schools. However, the focus of the tax has been to encourage manufacturers to reformulate, which appears to have worked. When the levy was first announced two years ahead of its introduction in order to give companies time to reformulate, it was projected to raise $667 million in its first year. The month before the tax came into effect, the government reduced its revenue expectations to less than half of that amount.
Brazil Signs Deal to Reduce Sugar Levels in Industrialized Foods
As reported on November 26 by a major Chinese news agency, Brazil’s Health Ministry signed a deal to significantly reduce the amount of sugar in industrialized food products, although the article does not address reformulation or alternative sweeteners. Specifically, Brazil’s agreement includes 68 companies and 1,147 products, with a commitment to reduce the sugar levels of those products by 144,000 tons by 2022. Brazil’s Health Minister Gilberto Occhi has also indicated that the government will work to advance food labels to encourage healthier decision making amongst Brazilian consumers, who take in 50 percent more sugar per day than is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
EFSA Adopts Proposals to Improve Efficiency and Transparency
According to a December 13 article published by Food Safety News, the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) is expressing its support for the European Union’s decision to allow the public review of all food safety data related to new products under government review. On December 11, parliament approved amendments to the General Food Law to publish safety studies before a product is authorized to go to market (short summary available here). The proposed amendments are in response to the European Citizens’ Initiative on glyphosate, especially in regards to concerns raised around the transparency of the scientific studies used to evaluate pesticides. The amendments were adopted by 427 votes in favor, 172 against and 67 abstentions.
Currently the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) only provides summaries of studies relevant for its evaluations on environmental and health protection. However, according to the abovementioned vote, the majority of Members of Parliament (MEPs) supports making public the non-confidential parts of industry applications submitted to EFSA for authorizing food additives, pesticides, or bioengineered ingredients. Parliament has also aligned on criteria to decide what information can be kept confidential. Overall, the result of the vote was not good news for industry who had opposed the requirements. However, CCC staff has been advised that, considering the high level of support from the EC, EFSA, the Council and consumers, there is little chance of derailing the proposal. Parliament will now enter into negotiations with EU Ministers.
EFSA Launches Interactive Tool on Dietary Reference Values
In a November 29 release, EFSA announced the launch of its Dietary Reference Values (DRV) Finder for the EU. This interactive tool was designed to give food companies easy access to nutrient amounts needed to maintain population and individual health. As Valeriu Curtui, head of EFSA’s Nutrition Unit has explained, the DRV Finder is not meant for consumers, “…as they should follow the national recommendations.” Instead, the tool is aimed at national authorities to translate the DRVs into nutrition recommendations. Users are able to search a population group or nutrient, and extract and combine information from the 32 opinions on DRVs that EFSA has published in recent years. These opinions contain DRVs for water, fats, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, energy, as well as 14 vitamins and 13 minerals.
European Commission to Release Report on FOP Labelling and Considers Single System
According to a December 4 article published by Food Navigator, the EC is preparing to release its report of its findings at some point in 2019 on a facilitated dialogue between the EU’s stakeholders and Member States regarding front-of-pack nutrition labels. The debate seems to be intensifying over the appropriateness of various labels, which approach is the best, and whether a single scheme should be introduced throughout the common market. Of the various labelling options, traffic lights and NutriScore have gained the most traction, although each have significant differences. Unlike traffic lights in the UK and Ireland, which break out individual components such as salt and fat content, France’s Nutriscore provides a single score for the entire product.
Although the food industry has differing preferences for one type of label over another, the message coming through most clearly is the need for a single approach across Europe. Food Drink Europe (FDE) has been a vocal proponent of a universal label, arguing that “…a coordinated approach at [the] EU level should give more certainty and stability for food business operators trading across borders, and avoid consumer confusion.” However, not all countries are enthusiastic about FOP labels, and Italy has signalled they may block any effort to introduce nutrition-scoring methods.
Staff will share the EC’s abovementioned report once available.
GMO label to become more visible in EAEU
As reported by a local Moscow news source, additional labeling requirements for genetically modified products (also known as GMO, bioengineered, or BE) were introduced in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia) on December 26.
The previous technical regulation on labeling food products required manufacturers to inform consumers of GMO content (over 0.9%) by making one of several statement options (“genetically modified products”, “products derived from genetically modified organisms”, “products contain components of genetically modified organisms”). However, manufacturers provided this information in small print and in hard-to-find areas on packages, making it difficult to notice this information. The new requirements, which were adopted in December 2017 with a twelve-month implementation period, oblige manufacturers to print the GMO label in large print next to the Eurasian Conformity mark, and must correspond in shape and size.
Pakistan Launches Dietary Guidelines
As reported by Pakistan Today in a December 20 article, the Ministry of Planning and Development/Reform Commission of the Government of Pakistan in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations launched the Pakistan Dietary Guidelines for Better Nutrition (PDGN) on December 19 (pdf of guidelines in English here). FAO has reportedly jointly developed the country-specific food-based guidelines through an “extensive consultative process involving all relevant stakeholders, technical experts and professionals from across the country” according to FAO representative in Pakistan Mina Dowlatchahi. The guidelines called for a balanced diet in ‘One Plate’ composed of meat and pulses, cereals and cereal products, vegetables, fruit, milk and milk products, and edible oil/ghee. Alternative sweeteners are not explicitly addressed in the PDGN.
However, a December 22 article published by The News reports that nutritionist have found errors in the PDGN. The Pakistan Nutrition and Dietetic Society (PNDS) submitted a letter to the FAO asking it to review the document out of concern that the guidelines could promote misconceptions about diet and food. A leading nutritionist in Pakistan, Professor Rubina Hakim, is quoted as stating the PDGN is an embarrassment to the nutritionists and dietitians of the country. Hakim explains that, for example, “Everybody knows that apple is not an iron-rich fruit but this document says so,” and that the guidelines could misguide groups like pregnant women, who might incorrectly rely on consuming apples to address iron deficiency. The PDGN also includes mentions of milk containing Vitamin C and iron, and promotes ghee as a healthy food. In addition, Hakim criticized the body mass index (BMI) cut-off for Asians given in the guidelines, saying that the healthy BMI cut-off for Asians is lesser compared to international cut-offs since Asians tend to develop diabetes and other non-communicable diseases at a lower BMI than Western populations.
It is unclear whether FAO will revise or retract the PDGN, but staff will monitor for updates.
Sri Lanka Cuts Sugar Tax Levy by 40%
As reported in a December 6 article in Beverage Daily, Sri Lanka has implemented a 40 percent reduction in its sugar tax, cutting the tax from 50 cents to 30 cents per gram(g) of sugar. The Parliamentatian Minister Bandula Gunawardena explained that the tax reduction is predicted to “boost production efficiency of the fruit juice manufacturing industry,” and that only soft drinks with less than 6g of sugar and sweetened drinks with less than 9g of sugar would be exempted. The motivations behind the tax reduction have been seen as political, and many are arguing the move will set the country back in its efforts to fight rates of obesity and diabetes.
Debate Continues Over How to Address Australia’s Obesity Crisis
As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald in a December 17 article, health experts have offered several solutions to Australia’s obesity crisis, but politicians have failed to act, in part due to lobbying efforts by the food and beverage industries. The article reports that Australia’s top public health experts made their case through thousands of pages of submissions and four days of public hearings, and included two recommendations to address the country’s obesity crisis: restrict junk food advertising and tax sugary drinks. Two Liberals, two Labor members and a One Nation senator opposed the solutions while just two supported the measures.The result was a report that contained recommendations supported by only two of the seven committee members, which was unusual considering that such reports, written by the chair, typically represent a majority view.The conflicting report demonstrates the tense political atmosphere surrounding the obesity crisis that is affecting a growing number of Australians, and shows why persistent calls for a united national approach have not produced results.
Survey Published Revealing Growing Distrust of GMO Safety
On December 1, Capital Press published an article highlighting results from a November survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, which found that 49 percent of respondents viewed genetically engineered foods as less healthful than those without genetically engineered ingredients. The results are a sharp uptick from the 39 percent recorded just two years earlier in 2016. The increase was most dramatic amongst people with “low science knowledge” whereas there was no significant change over time in beliefs about genetically engineered foods among those with “high science knowledge”. In addition, the perception of biotech health risks seems to be aligned with concerns for the environment, as the survey found 56 percent of respondents believed genetically engineered crops were very likely or highly likely to “create problems for the environment.” Bill Freese, a science policy analyst with the Center for Food Safety, speculates that distrust of genetically-engineered foods has likely been increased due to the public debate over the federal biotech labeling law and controversy over glyphosate’s link to cancer.
2018 Global Nutrition Report Published
On November 29, the 2018 Global Nutrition Report, which tracks progress on global nutrition targets, ranging from diet-related non-communicable diseases to maternal, infant and young child nutrition, was published. The report is written by the chairs of an Independent Expert Group (IEG) of world-leading academics, researchers and government representatives, was published. It was backed and supported, among others by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Department for International Development (UK), USAID, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Government of Canada, Irish Aid, The Eleanor Crook Foundation and the European Commission.
The report concludes that malnutrition is a universal issue that no country in the world can afford to overlook. A third of reproductive-age women are anaemic, while 39 percent of the world’s adults are overweight or obese. The report also highlights solutions that already exist, and gives the example of Mexico’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax, which is credited for a fall in sales of targeted beverages by 9.7 percent across the population two years after the policy was implemented, compared with expected sales if it had not been. For more information on the outcomes of the report, see the executive summary of the report here.
WHO Publishes Report on Evaluating the Implementation of Recommendations on Marketing to Children
In November, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report on the implementation of the WHO’s recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children in Europe. The recommendations, adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2010, aim to stop the rising rates of childhood obesity by reducing the impact of marketing foods high in fat, salt and sugar on children. However, the November report found that application of the recommendations has been inconsistent, and partly blames the strong opposition and scrutiny that countries have faced from private industry. The report gives advice to support Member States in taking steps to reduce the impact of HFSS food marketing on children, and explains that while regulations in many states focus only on broadcast advertising, there is “clear evidence” that children are exposed to marketing through many other channels, such as digital, product displays, and through packaging.
Consumer Research Shows UK Consumers are “Getting Fatter but More Healthy”
According to a December 12 article in Food Navigator, new market research conducted by Nielsen and the retail trade journal, The Grocer shows that health and wellness are having a “profound impact” on the UK’s eating and drinking habits, but consumers still want to indulge. When looking at what lifestyle trends are impacting UK consumers’ food and beverage choices, researchers found that vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian are all words that largely affected sales. Consumers also desire foods that reflect healthfulness, as indicated by the data showing foods that advertise as being “free-from” is now the UK’s fourth fastest growing category, while sports nutrition is the fastest growing category. Ultimately, the data suggests that consumers in the UK are drinking and smoking less and embracing healthier options like low-calorie drinks and ice cream but they are also indulging more in treats and snacks.
New Ipsos Report Finds 70% of Americans Are Concerned About Sugar
As reported in a fall 2018 report from global market research and consulting firm Ipsos, survey data of over 2,000 US adults found that 70 percent of Americans are either somewhat or very concerned about the level of sugar in their diets. The market research firm also found that only 49 percent were somewhat or very likely to look for or use a substitute such as stevia, sucralose, agave or monk fruit. When asked which sugary foods concerned respondents the most, soda and carbonated beverages were at the top of the list, followed by juices, candy, desserts, canned fruit, condiments and flavored coffee.
Review Finds Food Labels Have Led to Changes in Intake of Select Nutrients and Additives
On December 17, a review was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) titled “A Meta-Analysis of Food Labeling Effects on Consumer Diet Behaviors and Industry Practices,” which found that food labels have led to changes in consumers’ intake of select nutrients and industry’s use of key additives. The researchers pulled findings from 60 interventional studies conducted in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The studies mostly evaluated male and female adults, and focused on specific meals or products.
The review, led by researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, assessed the effectiveness of multiple types of food labels, location, and other characteristics on consumer and industry responses. No consistent differences were found by label placements (menu, package, other point-of-purchase), label types (e.g., traffic light, nutrient content), type of labeled products, or whether labeling was voluntary or mandatory. The researchers concluded that this suggests that the general presence or absence of information may be more relevant to consumers and industry than the specific type of label.
In the presence of labeling, consumers reduced their caloric intake by 6.6 percent, total fat by 10.6 percent, and “other unhealthy food options” by 13 percent. Labeling also increased consumers’ vegetable consumption by 13.5 percent. In contrast, labeling did not significantly impact consumer intakes of other targets such as total carbohydrate, total protein, saturated fat, fruits, whole grains, or other healthy options.When industry responses were evaluated, labeling led to reductions of trans fat by 64.3 percent, and sodium by 8.9 percent in packaged foods. However, there were no significant effects of labeling on industry formulations of total calories, saturated fat, dietary fiber, other healthy components (e.g., protein and unsaturated fat), or other unhealthy components (e.g., total fat, sugar, and dietary cholesterol), although relatively few studies evaluated these endpoints. Other limitations noted were a lack of randomization of studies, lack of long-term effects evaluated needed to draw conclusions on outcomes, and heterogeneity of studies.
Diet Trends for 2019
CBS News was just one of several major news outlets predicting major diet trends for 2019. Their article, published on December 28, includes the following advice on 2019 diet trends:
Although not considered “diets”, two more trends that are predicted to continue growing in popularity are increased consumption of plants and meat alternatives, and mindful eating. Both trends are encouraged by health professionals.
CCC Submits Comments on Nigeria’s Non-Nutritive Sweeteners in Food Products Regulations 2018
On November 30, CCC submitted the attached comments in response to Nigeria’s draft Non-Nutritive Sweeteners In Food Products Regulations 2018. Review of Standards Regulation 2018. After this, staff received notice from a CCC member that the Technical Committee of the National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Governing Council recommended to delete clause 2:2 of the new regulation, which stated “Non Nutritive Sweeteners shall not be used in foods for infants and young children that are not in good health unless stipulated.” The Technical Committee recommended to delete this clause because it has no scientific basis based on inputs from member companies, including a CCC member, and also recommended to maintain the Codex Standards on the use of Non Nutritive Sweeteners in the new regulation.
CCC Submits Comments on Draft Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research
On December 14, CCC submitted the attached comments in response to the Request for Information (RFI) soliciting input on the Draft Strategic Plan for the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Nutrition Research, which includes themes and strategic priorities on the microbiome and the role of nutrition and dietary patterns in development, health, and disease across life stages.
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Do you have questions about low-calorie sweeteners? Want to learn more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle? You asked and we listened. Our resident Registered Dietitians answered the most popular questions about low-calorie sweeteners.
